


peace won't reach my bones, sadness still remains

by eeveepkmnfan



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Study, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, I just really needed to see these two interact more, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-01-21 05:18:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 24,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12450426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eeveepkmnfan/pseuds/eeveepkmnfan
Summary: "You sure are a pretty bad liar."Or, Ryoma wakes up in the classroom with Kokichi.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title from the song It's Just a Lot by K.Flay! Ah, I really needed to write something with these two interacting! I feel like they'd be really interesting together! So, I just started writing and somehow this happened, haha. Hope you enjoy!

“Hey kid, you alright?” A deep voice questioned him and as he looked up, feeling his cheeks warm in embarrassment, he quickly stood and nodded.

“Ah, yeah. Don’t worry about me.” Even as he said it, he was unable to look the other boy in the eyes, frustration welling up in him at his own familiar weakness. Even in this kind of situation, his bad habits still persisted, huh? 

A worn out sigh drifted through the room and he slowly lifted his eyes, only to find blank obsidian ones staring right back. Though, he thought there might have been a little concern in them. 

“Geez, I was afraid you had knocked yourself out or something you way you reacted.” The boy with the hat gave a slight smile as he chuckled, causing him to puff out his cheeks in a pout as his face warmed.

Stomping his foot, he scowled. “How else was I supposed to react? I’d just learned that we’d been kidnapped and put here in this stupid school! What kind of jerk does that!?” Turning his back, he wrapped his arms around himself as his voice broke. He felt his eyes watering and angrily scrubbed a hand across his face. If his family were here, surely they’d be teasing him for how easily he cried. They’d always called him their little crybaby, no matter how much he fussed or glared about it. It was embarrassing for someone such as him, why couldn’t they see that? Though, maybe that was part of why they did it. They had grown rather fond of his own brand of mischief, hadn’t they? 

He was snapped out of his thoughts when a firm hand grabbed his and turned him around, making him blow out a breath of air as he looked down to the boy he’d woken up inside this classroom with. Come to think of it…

“Hey, what’s your name?” He cut off whatever hat boy was going to say, a bewildered expression flashing across his face for a moment before he schooled it away. But he’d seen it, and it made him grin and giggle, as if this was just another regular day of causing trouble and pranks. What else could he do in this situation but laugh? It was just another habit at this point.

The boy stared at him for a few seconds before tugging at his hat a little, mouth quirked up. “…Hoshi Ryoma. And you?” 

He smiled and crossed his arms behind his head. “I’m Ouma Kokichi! Nice to meet you, Hoshi-chan!” 

“Hoshi-chan?” His fellow prisoner asked, eyes looking even blanker than usual. He just giggled in response and stuck out his tongue, throwing in a wink for good measure. Hoshi-chan only sighed, and he did an internal victory dance. Win number one had already gone to him! 

“Anyways, before you woke up, I thought I heard what sounded like screaming coming from the hallway. I don’t really know what’s going on or why we were kidnapped, but…” Dark eyes looked up at him and seemed as if they were pools. “I’d say let’s get out of here before we have to find out.”

Kokichi rocked back on his heels and grinned, clapping as if he’d just heard a funny story. “Alright, let’s get going then! I can’t wait to see what’s waiting for us!” 

Hoshi-chan threw him an unreadable look as they both walked towards the door, stopping just before it. They both knew everything would change when they stepped out from this room. 

“Cool your jets, kid.” Hoshi-chan’s voice might have sounded cold, and to anyone else maybe they would have believed it, but not him. Not with the way the other boy stepped slightly in front of him and reached for the doorknob, as if ready to protect him from whatever was on the other side. He wondered just what kind of person it was that would want to protect someone like him; what kind of foolish choice was that? Honestly, what bad luck, waking up to someone like this…

He laughed, feeling a vice grip crushing his throat like an old memory. “Man, you’re really an idiot, huh? You think I’m some pathetic little kid? Someone worth protecting? Your friend? Hoshi-chan’s really funny!” He couldn’t stop laughing. It was just too funny.

“Ouma.” As he looked back to the other, tilting his head with a curious noise, he found himself surprised when instead of being punched or mocked or left alone, he was instead met with a hand reaching out to him and firm dark eyes unmoving as they stared him down. He just stood there frozen as that deep voice continued talking.

“You’re pretty messed up, huh? Well, not like it’s my place to say anything, but… you’ve got a long ways to go, kid. You think I can’t tell when someone’s afraid? For someone who said all that crap about being excited and not needing to be protected… you sure are a pretty bad liar.” 

Kokichi stood in place, grin faded and face blank. A silence spread between them before the purple haired boy plastered another smile on his face and bounced back as if nothing had happened. 

“Wow, Hoshi-chan sure has a lot to say about someone he doesn’t know! And he says I’m messed up? Nishishi!” 

Hoshi tugged his hat down and sighed tiredly. “I already know this is gonna be a pain…” He muttered to himself as Ouma placed a hand on the doorknob and quickly threw it open before he could do anything. But before the other boy could do anything stupid like run off on his own, he used his flash step to grab hold of his scarf and drag him behind his own body. 

“Just stay there,” He drawled, not caring to see what expression was on the other boy’s face. Whatever it was, it was probably just as creepy as those fake as hell smiles of his. They didn’t really have time to be arguing anyways. Here they were, kidnapped, and this guy wanted to put on some sort of act for whatever reason. To cope? He wasn’t really interested in the answer, just in finding a way to escape. 

And keeping this idiot alive too, he supposed. He didn’t really know why, but he felt somewhat responsible. Not that he didn’t think Ouma couldn’t survive on his own; clearly the boy had done all too much of that, from the look of his worn and ragged uniform. It was just that there was this sort of fragileness to the other boy that made him seem… vulnerable. And it wasn’t like him to do something like this either, but. 

It just felt right to drag Ouma around behind him, to walk in front of him, to try and comfort the scared child he’d seen when the other boy had first woken up. It was odd. They’d just met earlier, hadn’t they? And yet here he was, acting like the kid’s big brother…

Tugging at his hat, he kept a firm grip on the boy behind him, who was grumbling and complaining under his breath. His lips twitched when he heard some rather vicious curses one wouldn’t expect to come from such a sweet looking kid, amusement curling in his chest.

“Hey, Ouma,” He began, voice quiet but loud enough to be heard in the eerie silence of the school. He got nothing in reply but went on anyways. Maybe the other boy wouldn’t want to hear something like this, or would just brush it off, but he had a feeling it needed to be said.

“I’m going to get you out of here. So don’t worry.” 

Instead of the fake laughter he’d expected, he felt the hold on his hand tighten to the point of almost pain, Ouma silent behind him as they continued walking. 

Then, a few minutes later.

“Haha, Hoshi-chan’s a liar too!” But his voice broke in the middle of his sentence and it was obvious he was crying. Probably for a lot more than just being in this situation. 

But that wasn’t any of his business, so Ryoma kept walking and ignored the soft hiccups and loud sobs of the boy behind him who never let go of his hand. 

This time, he would be able to protect someone. He swore it. He’d get this kid out of here alive, no matter what.

Heh. Was this what resolve felt like? He’d almost forgotten. It was a nice feeling, a warmth spreading from his hand to his heart. 

He’d hold onto it for as long as he could.


	2. Chapter 2

Then, their classmates and the Monokubs and the Exisals happened, and all too soon it appeared as if Ryoma would be breaking yet another promise. Just what he should have expected of himself, he supposed. But still. As he looked at everyone’s panicked faces and then back to Ouma’s blank, pale white one, doing a frankly poor job of hiding how terrified he was, Ryoma found himself still wanting to try. 

But even he knew he couldn’t win against something like their memories…. Or could he? It was like a lightbulb going off in his mind, so quick was the flash, and he hurriedly dragged Ouma over to a corner while everybody was busy shouting and panicking. He didn’t think they had much time until the Monokubs made good on their threat of erasing their memories. He had to be quick, and hope that this worked. 

As the purple haired boy looked down at him with wide, scared eyes watering with tears, he grabbed his hand and squeezed reassuringly. 

“Ouma, listen to me. We don’t have much time, this is important. If our memories are going to be wiped and we really are going to be in a killing game… I need you to listen. I don’t know if this will work, or if it will only work on one of us, but it’s the only chance we’ve got. Can you do something for me?” Ryoma motioned for the other boy to lean in, and after he did so, went over his plan as quickly as he could. His heart was beating hard against his chest, and he could only imagine that Ouma’s was the same. This was one hell of a gamble they were betting on. 

But it was all they had. It would have to be enough. For the sake of that promise he’d made to himself, for the sake of this kid he’d grown surprisingly fond of in such a short time together, for the sake of that warm resolve that had somehow bloomed into determination…

He would try, just this once. And if it didn’t work, well. He could bet how he’d end up. But as for the boy next to him, who felt something like what he thought a little brother might…

He felt his mouth come together in what was half a grimace, half a smile. Was it weird to smile in this situation? Probably. But it was even weirder to be in it in the first place, so he just wryly chuckled at how fate had ended up and looked back to Ouma, whose face was as serious as he’d ever seen it. No trace of the scared little boy he’d first encountered, and no fake words or smiles he’d come by later. Just Ouma, just a regular high school student like him. 

He quietly thought to himself that it was nice to finally meet the other boy, but shoved that thought out of his head as Ouma’s voice caught his ears. 

“Well, it sounds crazy, Hoshi-chan, probably because it is. But like you said, it’s all we’ve got, right? So, um… let’s do it! And beat whoever’s doing this at their own game! Nishishi, I think that would be the best prank I’ve ever done! Just imagining the look on their face…!” The purple haired boy laughed softly, and for once, it didn’t sound grating or like something he’d put on. No, this was as honest as the other boy probably got. 

Then, his quiet laughter faded into nothingness as he smiled down at Ryoma, crossing his arms behind his neck as if he didn’t have a care in the world. 

“I might not get the chance to say this again, so. Thanks for looking out for me, nishishi!” And as he looked up with surprised eyes, Ouma tilted his head and then blew out a breath as he looked away. 

“In this case, I think I can make an exception… for my dearest Hoshi-chan. My minion deserves this much at least, right?” 

Ryoma tugged his hat down, trying to hide his amused smile. “Geez. You’re a real brat, huh? Looks like I still got a ways to go.” 

“Yep! Nishishi!” Ouma giggled and didn’t specify what he was agreeing to, looking, for the moment, as if they weren’t in this whole messed up situation, as if they didn’t have to resort to a half assed plan to retain their memories, as if they were friends. 

In another life, maybe all of that was true.

But in this one, it wasn’t. These were the cards life had seen fit to deal them, and so they had to play. What a fucked up game.

As they laughed together, forcibly ignoring all the yells and screams and chaos going on around them, Ryoma had the thought that even if the two of them didn’t remember any of this when they woke up, at least they would be able to make new memories. In a killing game. Where their classmates would try to kill each other.

He didn’t know which was worse, remembering or forgetting. But he thought that if he had the choice, he’d want to remember. After all, he’d made a promise, hadn’t he? To get this kid out alive. 

And he would, memories or no memories. Somehow, he would. Otherwise, what was even the point of everything he’d done?

One last time, he would try. For Ouma, who was all quick smiles and even quicker lies, but who was delicate like glass and felt like he would shatter from just the lightest touch. Or maybe he was already shattered, his broken edges scraped together like puzzle pieces fitting all wrong just for someone to cut themselves on. There were so many pieces to the other boy, he didn’t think he’d ever be able to see them all, let alone find them.

But that was alright, as long as… 

“Hoshi-chan. Let’s end this whole stupid killing game. Let’s show them all what they want: a show! It’ll be the best one they ever see, nishishi!”

Purple hair tilted to the side. A trembling smile. Brave eyes. 

“We won’t be boring, will we?” 

Ryoma stared back and answered the only way he could, squeezing the kid’s hand tightly. “Cool your jets, kid.”

He tugged his hat down to cover his eyes. “…We’ll break this game to bits.” 

Laughter rang in his ears, loud and echoing, as if from far away. The world in front of him was slowly melting away, everything going white and disappearing one by one…

Before it all went black, one last thought stuck stubbornly in the back of his head. 

Ouma was still a brat.


	3. Chapter 3

As Ryoma awoke to darkness encasing him and cold metal all around, as he put a hand to the locker door, as he stumbled out and slowly turned his head to the other one beside his as another boy with obnoxious purple hair fell out… 

It felt as if he’d done this all before. The thought sent an unsettling shudder down his back, and he grimaced as he pulled his hat down, still gazing at the only other person in the room with him. 

The kid looked up with a disturbingly blank face before masking it with a bright, fake smile. For some reason, the sight of it made him want to wash it away somehow. The more he stood there in this classroom, the more things felt wrong. 

And then there was this feeling he had… This feeling as if he needed to be doing something very important. As he tried to grasp at it, it only slipped further and further away like smoke. He grit his teeth, but before he could even do anything, the other boy bounded up to him with a grin, hands on his hips as he opened his mouth.

“It’s introduction time, right? Then let me go first! I’m Ouma Kokichi, the… Ultimate Supreme Leader!” The boy’s voice started out strong but got more hesitant towards the end, and by that point a confused expression made its home on his face, mouth in a frown.

“Huh? But that’s weird… I’ve never…” The boy muttered softly to himself before looking back to him and tilting his head. “Hey, isn’t it your fault I’m so confused? Aren’t you the one who kidnapped me?” A slow smile spread across the kid’s face as he looked down at him with sparkling eyes. 

“Mr. Kidnapper, this is the time where you take responsibility, don’t you think? Nishishi!” 

Ryoma stared in silence for a few moments at that annoying smile before letting out a sigh. “You’re a real brat, huh?” He said, reaching up to tug his hat down again, but before he could… A sharp feeling stabbed into his brain, causing him to grip at his head with a pained noise. What was happening?

He shut his eyes as a drop of sweat traveled down his forehead, waves of pain still rolling against him. He stayed like that for what felt like hours, but was probably mere minutes in actuality. In his distraction, he’d failed to notice the sudden silence of his companion until a hand gripped onto his shoulder and a barely heard whisper reached his ears.

“…Hoshi-chan?” But he’d heard it nonetheless, and it caused that sharp, hot feeling to finally settle into something more manageable as he remembered. That’s right… The two of them had met before, just hours earlier…

Their classmates, the Monokubs, this killing game, his promise… He remembered it all. And as he stared back at Ouma, he could tell the other boy had as well. He blew out a big breath and shoved his trembling hands into his pockets as something heavy suddenly eased inside his chest. 

That half assed plan of his had actually worked, it seemed. It was a relief. He wasn’t sure what he would have done if neither of them had remembered, or if only one of them had… He might have liked to tell himself that it would have all turned out, but that was a lie. A small little lie he’d said to give him the courage to go through with it.

It was such a relief, was all he could think to himself. The two of them had really done it. He spared a brief moment to send all of his gratefulness to the person who’d taught him a neat little trick, years ago. They probably wouldn’t have been able to imagine it would get used in this way, but. He liked to think that they would be proud of him nonetheless. 

“Hey, so what’s your name, Mr. Kidnapper? A… supreme leader like me doesn’t have all day, you know!” Ouma broke his train of thought as he crossed his arms behind his head and grinned, almost a baring of his teeth as he glanced towards the camera for a brief second before looking back.

Right. Looks like they’d have to continue where they left off someplace else. For now, they needed to play this game out, or rather act like they were.

“Hoshi Ryoma… Ultimate Tennis Pro...” He heard his voice come out blank as he said it, as if he didn’t care. It wasn’t because he was particularly good with acting, no. It was because a set of memories came rushing into his head from out of nowhere, as if they had just been waiting for this specific moment.

The sound of a racket hitting something with great force, police sirens, red red red dripping everywhere no matter where he turned, offering no resistance as they slid the cuffs over his hands, a cell where he’d spend the rest of his days…

None of it was right, and yet his mind was saying that it wasn’t wrong either. His heart thudded heavy against his ribs as he silently gasped for air, nails digging into the skin of his palms. No, he wasn’t a murderer! He wasn’t, he wasn’t, he wasn’t…

But if he wasn’t, then what were those memories? A sick, slimy sensation crawled up his body only to wrap around his heart in a chokehold. 

“Hey, hey, Hoshi-chan! Geez, I just met you and already you’re ignoring your superior? I should have you punished for that, you know! Nishishi…” Ouma’s unreadable eyes and wide grin bored into him as his voice penetrated the fog in his head. He silently stared back, not moving.

“Ah, in case you don’t get it… I’m saying you should really pay better attention to your surroundings! Who knows what could happen when you leave yourself all defenseless like that, hmm? You should thank me!” The other boy’s sickly sweet voice filled in the room that was otherwise utterly silent. Anyone else would have mistaken those words for what they sounded like: the malicious suggestions of a threat. 

But Ryoma already knew better, and he’d only known this kid for a few hours. Ouma Kokichi was a liar, yes, but he told the truth just as often, with his actions if not anything else. If he worded things so that people would twist them a certain way… Well, that was their problem. And it would only be beneficial in this killing game. Lying to the whole audience of this bloody spectacle, to everyone who dared to enjoy this as entertainment, only to tell the truth right when nobody would expect it… He thought that Ouma would be, to them, terrifying. They’d never see the two of them coming. A vicious satisfaction settled in him at that.

He didn’t know why he believed so strongly in Ouma, in this makeshift plan they’d stated on the spot, in the fact that they would break everything about this game. Just that he did, and as long as he had that feeling rushing through him, he would be able to live.

He’d have never expected to find a reason to live here, amongst all the chaos and the far off scent of blood, but he had. Despite everything, he could protect someone now. He could try and protect them all. He could do anything.

If he had that, it was more than enough for someone like him. More than what he’d ever thought he’d receive. The feeling of it surged inside his chest, alongside the turbulent storm of other emotions. It’d been a while since he’d felt anything like this. It was almost too much, in fact. 

But he did his best to push it further away and looked back at the only person he had with him, one of many he had to protect. 

“…Let’s go.” Ignoring Ouma’s crocodile tears as the boy whined about being ‘manhandled’, the little brat, Ryoma gripped his arm tightly as he laid a hand on the door and then opened it.

He couldn’t lose like this. They were counting on him now. So he might as well try to be cool for once in his life and do it. 

Stepping through that door a second time felt a little like both a victory and a defeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra long chapter coming tomorrow, one made entirely of introductions, ha Haa! (Help me.) :P Hope you enjoyed! :D


	4. Chapter 4

One by one, they made introductions with their classmates. 

“I am Shinguuji Korekiyo, Ultimate Anthropologist. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” The boy with the mask bowed, face perfectly poised. He reminded him of a doll, Ryoma thought to himself. All long limbs and a graceful air.

“Kukuku, I wonder what beauty I will witness in a place such as this…” 

Albeit, a creepy one.

“Hey, Shinguuji-chan! Where’d you get your mask?” Ouma tilted his head with a vacant smile, arms behind him in a familiar pose.

The anthropologist closed his eyes briefly while crossing his arms, before letting out a rather eerie chuckle as bright yellow eyes slowly opened. “Oh? And why would you like to know, Ouma-kun?” 

The kid puffed out his cheeks angrily as he stomped a foot down on the ground. “No fair! It’s cheating to ask a question after a question! Hurry up and tell me, Shinguuji-chan!” 

“Hmm… Very well. I will enlighten you. But first, I must tell you of the circumstances relating to...” Ryoma watched as the anthropologist danced around the topic in circles, always avoiding the question of where he got his mask, until finally Ouma had enough and turned his back with what he must have thought was a fierce growl, clearly unhappy as he grabbed hold of his hand and stomped away.

But as the two of them wandered farther down the hallway, out of sight, Ouma suddenly dropped his scowl and began grinning, humming curiously. 

“Shinguuji-chan’s tough! Oh well, I’ll just have to crack him next time! Nishishi!” 

He certainly was one to keep an eye on. Something about him just rubbed Ryoma the wrong way. He couldn’t quite figure out what it was specifically, though. 

“Name’s Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars! I’m the one and only Ultimate Astronaut! Pretty cool, right?” A smiling boy with a bit of a goatee introduced himself with passionate eyes and enthusiastic words.

“Eh? But that’s not cool at all?” Ouma tilted his head to the side with a giggle, eyes wide and meant to provoke as they looked back to the other boy.

If the brat had wanted a reaction, he’d clearly gotten one, as Momota, after a moment of shock, turned red and made to grab him by his shirt collar. But before he could, Ryoma flash stepped in front of him, shielding Ouma from reach.

Not like he didn’t think the kid deserved a bump on the head or two, but… He had to admit, it was pretty amusing watching him rile someone up. The small, genuine smiles he had whenever they reacted to his words were nice to see as well. 

“Cool your jets, the both of you. I don’t need another headache…” His voice trailed off as he watched in confusion as Momota stared back at him with wide eyes. 

Then, the other boy nearly made him jump with how fast he moved as he grinned and started laughing. “Ah, I didn’t notice before, but after that, I’m convinced! You must be Hoshi Ryoma, the Ultimate Tennis Pro, right? I’d heard stories, but wow… That flash step of yours is something else!” 

Ryoma tugged at his hat. Getting recognized by someone for his tennis skills was nice, but… if Momota had ‘heard’ about him, then clearly they were from that set of memories that he’d labelled as wrong and pushed back deep in his head somewhere. He wasn’t sure how to feel about someone believing in those. 

But now that Momota had mentioned it… If he’d heard of the Ultimate Tennis Pro, then did that mean that everyone was remembering things wrong? It was too early to tell, but still. This whole thing stunk of some kind of plot from a shounen anime. It just kept getting weirder and weirder. 

“Just a technique I learned from my upperclassmen. But it does come in handy, I suppose.” He refocused back on Momota, who looked as if he were one second away from delving into asking more about his tennis. He grimaced. He’d rather not talk about anything relating to those… false memories right now. 

In the back of his mind, he knew he couldn’t avoid them forever. He’d have to confront them eventually, and it would probably be sooner rather than later. But just for a little longer, he wanted to not have to deal with any of it. He didn’t want to know why his head told him he was a murderer.

He wondered if that made him a coward.

“Angie’s known as the Ultimate Artist! It’s nice to meet you two! God thinks so as well!” The girl with white hair introduced herself excitedly and held out a hand instead of bowing. Ryoma shook it and then quickly stepped back as Ouma nearly ran him over.

“Nice to meet you, Angie-chan!” The purple haired boy shook her hand with a wide smile, only breaking the handshake when she let go first. Ryoma chuckled. He was like a little kid.

“Hey, what’s this god you’re talking about?” Ouma questioned, leaning in as he placed his hands on his hips. 

Yonaga’s eyes lit up and she began gesturing energetically while smiling. “Angie’s God is someone who’s always watching over her and protecting her! They’ve been with her all Angie’s life, and Angie’s dedicated her life to them in return! God speaks through Angie when she makes art; they’re such a kind God, giving Angie such a gift!” 

Ryoma stayed silent at her explanation. It wasn’t like he didn’t believe in a god, or ghosts. It was just that he’d never really thought of religion much, so he didn’t have an opinion on it either way. But from the way Ouma looked… It seemed he was curious about it.

“Eh? A god can do that? I’ve never heard of something like that before!” The purple haired boy seemed genuinely excited as he said that, his eyes sparkling as he clenched his fists in front of him in a frankly endearing display. 

Ryoma’s mouth quirked up, and he quietly chuckled. He liked seeing this childish side of Ouma, even when it caused him to be a brat. In fact, he might even be fond of those times too.

Yonaga clapped her hands as she squealed, apparently pleased at seeing someone else’s excitement towards her god. “Yes, yes! Angie’s God is amazing! Would you like to hear more, Ouma-kun?” 

The other boy giggled softly and rapidly nodded his head, the most eager Ryoma had ever seen him. He wasn’t really interested in hearing any more, but when he looked back to the happy smile on Ouma’s face, he figured they could spare a few more minutes. 

Yonaga talked to Ouma about her God and all the ways they enriched her life, gesturing frantically while the purple haired boy wiggled in place as he listened, eyes bright. 

Eventually, they bid the Ultimate Artist goodbye, Ouma waving back to her with a smile still lingering on his face. 

Ryoma looked over to the boy walking beside him, faint hums coming from his throat as he went along. It was clear he was in a good mood. 

Ryoma quirked a brow in thought. “Why were you so interested in her god?” 

The kid glanced over and stuck his tongue out mischievously. “Nishishi! I’ve never seen someone so happy talking about religion. Usually, it’s so boring, cause they’re all bleh about it… but Angie-chan’s not like that at all! It’s fun to listen to her stories!” 

Hmm. Not really the answer he’d expected. But when did Ouma ever meet his expectations? 

He shook his head and blew out a faint sigh, helpless to smile back. “I don’t really get it, but… if it’s interesting for you, then that’s good, I guess.” 

Ouma resumed his humming in response, looking noticeably more relaxed. 

He was glad the kid could find something to get excited over, even in this place. They might not get as many chances in the future. 

And it was nice to see him warming up to someone else, too. He knew that their main goal was to end this killing game, but… they also had to save everyone. Since that was the case…

Ryoma hoped Yonaga and Ouma could become friends, even if it was after everything was over.

“Name’s Iruma Miu, the Ultimate Inventor and the gorgeous girl genius known worldwide! No need to stare, I know I’m stacked!” The blonde girl cackled, throwing her head back obnoxiously. 

Ryoma traded a series of blank glances with Ouma, the both of them sending a set of very complicated silent communications via their eyes that let them both know they were in agreement. 

They turned and left without saying anything more. But it seemed fate had other plans, for before they could leave, the girl dashed in front of them with a huff and a scowl.

“Hey, what’s your fucking deal? Blowing me off like that!” Her expression rapidly changed from angry to perverted in simply a few seconds. It was disturbing to watch. 

“Or were you two going off to blow each other instead? Kyahaha!” Another annoying cackle rang out, and Ryoma glared. 

“How about you shut up if have nothing useful to say, you-“ Before Ouma could cheerfully go on with insulting her, Ryoma grabbed his wrist and tugged him along to hopefully leave this whole… incident behind them. The incident being Iruma in general. 

He really didn’t want to watch those two go back and forth like he had a feeling they would. He just didn’t have the patience. 

“Ultimate Inventor, huh?” Ouma muttered, eyes glinting. Ryoma didn’t want to know what kinds of schemes he was planning.

But at the same time, he did. Shaking his head, he thought to himself wryly that he probably should never have gotten mixed up with someone like Ouma. 

It may have been the first, but it certainly wouldn’t be the last time he thought it.

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Toujou Kirumi, the Ultimate Maid. Please let me know if there are any services you require done. I will accept any request, within reason.” The girl in front of them bowed and then straightened, not a single strand of hair out place. Simply put, she was an elegant person. 

“Oooh! Could you make me a thirty two tier ice cream cone with every scoop a different flavor and with sprinkles and gummy bears?” Ouma said it all in one single breath, grinning as he sucked in a breath.

“Why thirty two?” He questioned. 

The purple haired boy turned and laughed. “It’s always been a dream of mine, nishishi!” 

Ryoma wondered if the kid also dreamed of one hundred tiered chocolate cakes. It sounded like the sort of thing he’d admit to.

The maid gave a slight laugh at Ouma’s ridiculous request, folding her hands in front of her. “Certainly. I’m more than used to baking desserts for my clients, so something like this should pose no problem.”

The kid jumped up and down, cheering. “Wow! You’re like a mom, Toujou-chan!” 

The grey haired girl smiled. “I shall take that as a compliment.” 

Ouma grinned and then giggled as he looked at her. “You should! I don’t give those out so freely! Now you owe me even more ice cream!” 

Ryoma dragged him away before he could try to demand anything else. 

“Ah, I’m Shirogane Tsumugi, the Ultimate Cosplayer. It’s nice to meet you!” It had taken a few rough pokes from Ouma before she responded, but eventually they got through to her. 

“Wow, a cosplayer? So you can dress up as anyone? Hey, why don’t you dress up as me?” Ouma rattled off questions one after another, and it was easy to see that Shirogane was getting overwhelmed. 

“Um, I know it might sound kind of odd, but I can’t cosplay real people. I can only cosplay fictional characters! Oh, but I prefer for other people to wear the outfits I create, anyway. For someone as plain as me, I just never come out the way I want.” She placed her hand against her cheek. 

“Hmm… Boring!” Ouma sang, actually turning up his nose at her. “What kind of cosplayer doesn’t wear their own costumes?” 

Shirogane looked as if she were going to say something but then stopped, reopening her mouth after a moment and turning shining eyes onto Ouma. 

“Would you like to model for me sometime, Ouma-kun? You have the perfect body type for what I have in mind! Oh, I bet you’d look amazing in it!” 

The other boy crossed his arms behind his neck and smiled. “That sounds kind of fun! But if I don’t like what you design, you might be in trouble, you know? Are you prepared to take a risk like that?” 

The cosplayer crossed her arms and beamed. “Don’t worry, I’m sure I have something you’ll like! I may be plain, but I have confidence in my talent. You won’t even recognize yourself when I’m done with you!”

“Nishishi, I’ll hold you to that!”

As they moved on to the next destination, Ryoma turned the meeting with the Ultimate Cosplayer over in his head. He glanced over at Ouma, who had a smile on his face like always.

“What kind of outfit do you think she had in mind?” 

The purple haired boy snickered. “If she said it was for my body type, then… Probably a dress! Ah, I haven’t worn one in a long time. Maybe she isn’t totally boring after all.” 

Ryoma hummed, corners of his mouth curling up. “…Brat.” 

“You should be careful, Hoshi-chan! Keep calling me that and someone might come up with the idea that you’re fond of me!” 

He shoved a hand in his pocket. “Keep talking like that and someone might think to get revenge.”

Ouma laughed loudly, shooting him a smug smirk. “Hoshi-chan’s so fond of me, even people across the ocean whisper of a certain underling’s devotion for his leader!” 

Ryoma smirked back and slowly put a foot out in front, in preparation to flash step. 

Ouma sprinted down the hallway, laughing and giggling and teasing him all the way. 

“Tenko is Chibashira Tenko, the Ultimate Aikido Master, and this is Yumeno Himiko, the Ultimate Mage!” The martial artist’s cheerful smile suddenly changed into a serious, slightly creepy look as she bored holes into them. “Just know that if any of you degenerates try anything on the girls, Tenko will show you the true meaning of fear.” 

Ryoma sweat dropped, wondering if he was the one sane person in this place. Well, Toujou had seemed alright, and maybe Yonaga… Still, there was quite the cast of eccentric people, it seemed.

“Ultimate Mage? That has to be a lie, nishishi! Magic isn’t real!” 

The red headed girl next to Chibashira slowly tilted her head and rubbed one of her eyes. “Nyeh… Magic is real.” 

The martial artist cut in with a glare towards Ouma. “Now you’ve made Yumeno-chan angry! Typical of a degenerate male…” 

Ouma stopped smiling and looked at her with a questioning expression. “Degenerate male? But what if I’m not a boy?” 

Ryoma wouldn’t be surprised. It seemed impossible to really classify Ouma as anything but Ouma. 

Chibashira abruptly stopped and just stared, then turned red as she frantically apologized, saying she would go on a journey to reflect on her mistakes.

“Nishishi! Well, it doesn’t really bother me what people call me, so do whatever you like! It’s fun to see you squirm, though! Maybe you shouldn’t judge people by their appearances?” He then smiled, closing his eyes with his arms behind him. 

Chibashira was clearly flustered and at a loss of what to do, stammering and unable to look Ouma in the eye as she continued to apologize. 

“Nyeh… too noisy,” Yumeno slid down the wall and looked as if she were trying to sleep. Ryoma wished he could do the same.

“Chibashira-chan is too easy to tease!” Ouma laughed as he spun around her and then abruptly made for the door, apparently done here. 

She straightened up, visibly confused in the way that everyone who met the other boy was.

“Ouma-san?” 

But he only responded with mischievous laughter that eventually faded as he ran through the door. As Ryoma made for the door as well, already worrying over what that guy would get into by himself, he stopped and looked back at the martial artist for a moment.

“…Good luck.” 

She would need it if she were trying to figure that kid out. 

“Hello, my name is Akamatsu Kaede and I’m the Ultimate Pianist! Nice to meet you.” The girl smiled and then gently nudged the boy beside her, as if to say ‘go on’. 

He snapped to attention and then pulled down his hat, hiding his eyes. “Ah, um… I’m Saihara Shuichi. Everyone calls me the Ultimate Detective, but… I’m really just an apprentice.” 

Akamatsu placed her hands on her hips and turned to him with a pout. “Saihara-kun! I’m sure you’re a great detective! Remember what I said?” 

The blue haired boy looked down with a faint blush as he softly voiced his agreement, then he looked back to her with a smile.

“Thank you, Akamatsu-san. I’ll try my best.”

“Hey, hey, why are you two ignoring me? Can’t you see me? Or are you really that dense, nishishi?” Ouma flashed them a grin, casually insulting them. 

The pianist looked surprised and then a little annoyed before finally settling for an apologetic expression as she turned back to face him. “Ah, I’m sorry Ouma-kun. Was there something you wanted to say?” 

The purple haired boy waved a hand through the air, bored. “Not really.” 

She looked, for a brief moment, as if she wanted to smack him on the head. Funnily enough, a lot of the people they’d encountered so far had worn the exact same expression when exposed to Ouma.

But Saihara briefly touched her arm before she could even take a step forward, and she let out a deep breath before smiling at him in thanks. Then, the detective turned and caught bored violet eyes in his own.

“Ouma-kun, was it? Ah, regarding your Ultimate talent…” 

Ryoma watched in amusement as the kid led both the detective and the pianist around in circles as they asked about his so called ‘talent’. It ended, as it usually did, with Ouma giggling at the chaos he’d incited as he made his escape. Geez. Just like a little kid.

“Ah, hello! It’s wonderful to meet you two! Shall I introduce the three of us as well?” The boy in a strange outfit smiled, his bright blue eyes seeming to shine as he turned to the other two beside him. When no protests came forth, he turned back and began talking once more. 

“As for me, I am called Kiibo. I’m the Ultimate Robot! Next to me is Harukawa Maki, the Ultimate Child Caregiver, and on my other side is Gokuhara Gonta, the Ultimate Entomologist! I hope we can all get along!” The self-proclaimed robot then spread his hands with a proud smile. “Well? How was that for introductions?”

“Do robots have dicks?” Ouma tilted his head curiously as somehow a blush rose up on Kiibo’s metal cheeks. 

“Please do not ask ridiculous questions!” 

“I’m really curious though?” Ouma and Kiibo continued to bicker amongst themselves, only one of them looking like they were getting anything out of the experience.

Ryoma soon found himself face to face with the Ultimate Entomologist, whose sheer size would have been enough to scare off most people, he was sure. But he quickly found that Gokuhara wouldn’t even hurt one of those insects of his.

“Would you like to meet Gonta’s friends?” The long haired boy smiled cheerfully, bringing the plastic container hanging from his neck closer to Ryoma.

Glancing back to the one person left standing alone in the room, Harukawa, who only turned and gave him a dismissive look, he faintly sighed and agreed. He wasn’t the biggest fan of bugs, but he didn’t hate them or anything. Though with the way Gokuhara talked about them, apparently he’d been missing out. 

As he gently pet the shiny beetle currently resting contently on a twig, he looked back up to the red eyed boy. “What kind of beetle is this? I’ve never seen it before.” 

Gokuhara’s eyes lit up as he explained. It was clear he was more than passionate about the subject. “Oh! This is a Carolina Tiger Beetle, and unfortunately, due to habitat destruction and collecting, the species is in danger. How Gonta came across this one is…” 

Ryoma listened as Gokuhara rambled about the different bugs he was currently taking care of. It was surprisingly interesting, and if he’d had more time, he wouldn’t have minded hearing more. But as Kiibo’s voice grew increasingly exasperated in the background, he knew they should probably get going. 

Ouma looked back as they opened the door, sticking his tongue out at Kiibo with a smirk. The entomologist hesitantly waved goodbye, and when Ryoma returned it, smiled brightly. 

“I’m Amami Rantarou. Even if I can’t remember my Ultimate talent, I promise… I’m not a bad guy.” The green haired boy smiled at them, his long eyelashes blinking slowly. 

Ouma rocked on his heels, grinning widely as he laughed. “Wooow, Amami-chan is super suspicious! What a shady guy!” Privately, Ryoma agreed.

Amami only smiled sheepishly, a hand to his head. “Sorry about that. But I really can’t remember. If I could, I’d tell you, but since I can’t, it looks like you’ll just have to keep suspecting me.” He let out a light chuckle as he finished speaking. 

“Eh? You’re fine with that? Isn’t Amami-chan just getting worse and worse at this? At this rate, you’ll be playing on Super Mean difficulty, right?” Ouma tilted his head. “Aaaah, this is all Amami-chan’s fault!” 

The other boy spread his hands out in front of him like a peace offering. “Haha, what is?” 

Ouma suddenly pointed a finger towards him dramatically. “Making me fall for him!” A few silent moments ticked by, and Ryoma sighed, rubbing a hand over his face.

The Ultimate Question Mark looked puzzled, but then smiled serenely, soft laughter falling from his lips. “Ah, my bad. How can I make it up to you, Ouma-kun?” 

“Well, be my servant, of course! Nishishi, I’m just kidding!” Saying that, the purple haired boy walked right up and then grabbed Amami’s arm, trying to drag him towards the door and only managing it because the other boy walked with him, a bemused smile on his face.

“You’ll just have to be my prisoner instead.”

“Haha, that certainly sounds dangerous…” 

As Ouma and Amami smiled at each other as they opened the door together, Ryoma thought to himself that the both of them were similar to each other. Or at least, that’s the feeling he had. And now that the brat had suddenly decided to upgrade their party to three… Not like he didn’t know why Ouma had done it. Question Mark was altogether too suspicious to really leave alone, and so the only option had been to take him with them. Still…

He suddenly realized that he was the only sane man in between both Ouma and someone a little too much like him. The sound of their playful conversation faded into the background as an image came into his head. Amami and Ouma, the two of them working together, twin smiles on their faces as they tore the killing game down bit by bit. 

If an image such as that ever came true… If Amami could be trusted… If a partnership as unholy as that ever came to fruition and managed to actually manifest itself into reality somehow…

Ryoma tugged his hat down and walked on. 

“Amami-chan, are you thinking of me?” 

“Ah… everyone is on my mind, not just you, Ouma-kun.” 

“Nishishi, really? Amami-chan’s so honest, huh? Well, you’re still my number one, so work harder! Don’t you want to win my heart?” 

There was way too much in everything those two said. It made his head ache. As Ryoma walked faster, they continued talking, smiling at each other all the while. 

They were terrifying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new party member has joined!! ヽ(*・ω・)ﾉ This fic just continues to be wildly indulgent, I'm sorry. xD Hope this chapter wasn't too boring!


	5. Chapter 5

“Now the opening act can finally begin! Everyone, please gather in the gym!” And with those words, the monitor abruptly turned off. So, it was time for take two.

As he looked over at his companions, he caught Ouma’s eye. The purple haired boy simply smiled and turned towards their destination, as if he hadn’t a care in the world. Amami, after a brief intense look at the blank screen, followed after him. 

Looking at the both of their backs as they walked, Ryoma wondered just what was going on in their heads. If Ouma was alright. His suspicions about Amami… How in the world they were going to beat this game. Where would they even begin? Then there was the issue of those wrong memories, and the identity of the person orchestrating this whole spectacle… 

He thought about a lot on the way there. 

“Ouma-kun, what do you make of all this?” Amami’s genial voice broke the comfortable silence. Well, as comfortable silence could get in a place like this.

The other boy tugged at the arm he was holding, drawing out a questioning noise. 

Amami put his free hand to the back of his head as he looked down at the boy practically dangling off him. Strangely, he hadn’t seemed fazed at all when Ouma had refused to let go.

“Well… I was just thinking that someone like you must have an idea of what’s going on. Am I wrong?” The green haired boy’s voice was casual, as if he were only remarking on the weather. It was unnerving how nothing about Amami matched. Whether it was his tone, his words, his expression… something was always out of sync. 

Like he had been sewed carefully but with patchwork. It was that kind of odd feeling. And for how similar he was finding the two of them to be… He didn’t get that same weird vibe from Ouma, no matter how much of a headache he could be.

For all his faults, that kid had never been suspicious to him. And maybe that was suspicious in itself, how he seemed to just… believe in Ouma so steadily. It was confusing. He wasn’t one to trust so easily, was he? 

But. He thought back to soft laughter and a genuine smile. A warm hand that had accepted when he reached out, harmless teasing, those brave eyes when the other boy had decided to trust in the only shot they had…

None of that had been fake, had been a lie, no matter what Ouma might say. And right now, that was enough.

“Someone like me? Hmm, what does Amami-chan mean by that?” He was brought back to reality by a snickering voice. 

Ryoma watched silently as Question Mark smiled carefreely and waved his hand through the air. “Ahaha, nothing. You can just forget I asked. Although…” And then he turned to glance at him instead, sharp green eyes scrutinizing him. 

“What about you, Hoshi-kun? I’m curious as to what you have to say as well.” 

He let out a silent sigh and stared blankly back before tugging his hat down when it became clear the other boy wasn’t going to budge. Geez. He really couldn’t get a read on this guy at all.

“...What’s there to say? We’re stuck in this place and being forced to follow the rules of whoever’s kidnapped us. Pretty crude, if you ask me.” Maybe his voice was a little too cool as he said those last words, but hey. If he could, he’d say much worse things. Really, whoever was watching should be thankful at his self-restraint. 

Usually his vindictive side only ended up biting him later on, but right now, he couldn’t care less. Besides, maybe Ouma was onto something with the whole pranking thing. A wicked amusement dripped down his throat at the thought that only one other person was in on the joke. 

And the audience wouldn’t see the punchline coming until it bit them in the eyes.

“That’s a scary face, Hoshi-kun… I think I can see why you and Ouma-kun get along so well, haha!” Amami laughed as he took in his no doubt dark expression. 

“Hmm, but I do agree. This is a dire situation we’ve all found ourselves in. But three heads are better than one for worrying, I suppose?” As he said that, they found themselves in front of the door to the gym. 

Placing a hand on the doorknob, Amami gave them both one last smile, this one seeming somewhat reassuring… “Don’t worry. Whatever happens, I promise we’ll make it out. Every one of us.” 

And before Ouma could accuse him of lying or being shady, he opened the door and walked in, sending a glance over his shoulder as if to say, ‘coming?’, giving them no time to ponder his words.

And then the chaos continued as the Monokubs and Monokuma appeared and introduced the killing game to the cast. As his fellow classmates went pale or shouted out their disbelief and confusion, Ryoma looked to the two boys next to him, Ouma having reclaimed his spot as the Ultimate Amami Clinger. 

As he took in their unreadable expressions, one with a smile and the other with a fierce gleam in his eyes, he wondered just what the future had in store for the three of them. A few days ago, he might have said nothing good. But now, he had a small burning feeling in his chest that maybe, just maybe, they could win. They could escape with everyone else. 

After all, he had Ouma, the only other person who knew what he did, who knew the stakes. And at this point, as he stopped to rest on his classmates’ faces one by one, he thought to himself that there wasn’t anyone else he would pick as a partner. 

“Hey! Quit fighting already!” Akamatsu’s shout suddenly filled the air as she broke up what looked to be an argument. “We shouldn’t be fighting amongst ourselves. Right now, we need to work together!” 

“Whoever trapped us here wants us to fight, so let’s show them that’s not going to happen!” She smiled and held up her fists in front of her, as if saying she was ready for anything. 

As everyone took inspiration from her words and the mood began brightening now that they had direction, Gokuhara mentioned a manhole he’d apparently discovered and then it was decided they’d all go check it out. Though Ryoma doubted it was actually an exit. Nonetheless, it was still best to see it for themselves. 

“Akamatsu-san was cool back there, wasn’t she? Though I’m a little worried for her… Anyways, let’s thoroughly search for a way out, okay? There has to be one somewhere.” Question Mark looked ahead at their classmates, his eyes warm as they wandered back to the two of them.

Ouma giggled. “Nishishi, why is Amami-chan acting like the leader? Is he planning on killing me and usurping my position? You’re horrible, Amami-chan!”

The green haired boy waved his hands through the air in front of him in denial, sheepish grin on his face. “Ah, nothing like that, Ouma-kun! I guess I just feel a little responsible, is all.” 

The kid smirked and tilted his head up. “Wow, Amami-chan sure is full of himself! Well, why don’t you just cut it out? It’s kind of annoying.” 

Amami’s face suddenly changed, smile fading as a far more somber expression took its place. “I would if I could, but as it is… Sorry, it isn’t that easy. But I’ll try to tone it down.” 

Ryoma shoved his hands in his pockets as he observed the other boy. He was as vague as ever, and yet… It felt like he’d revealed something all the same. 

“Hey, what are you three whispering about?” Momota’s loud voice drew the attention of the rest of the group, and Ouma flashed him a wide smile.

“We were talking about how dumb you are, Momota-chan!” 

“Wha- That’s obviously a lie!” The astronaut sputtered, face turning red.

“Nishishi, really? But it looks like Kiibo agrees with me, right Kiibo?” As the two dragged the poor robot into their bickering, Ryoma only sighed, far too used to Ouma’s shenanigans. 

“Ouma-kun is certainly a unique person.” Amami lightly laughed as he watched the scene in front of them unfold. “Ah, but you are too, Hoshi-kun.” 

Ryoma blinked. 

“Thanks?” 

“You two make for quite the pair.” Green eyes looked down at him with an expression he couldn’t really make sense of and then darted away just as quickly as they’d visited.

Whenever Amami Rantarou opened his mouth, Ryoma found more questions than answers.


	6. Chapter 6

“Watch your step, Amami-chan! Wouldn’t want to trip, would we?” Ouma snickered to himself as he pushed past the green haired boy, hands behind his head as he flashed a smirk. 

Question Mark only rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish smile as they continued walking through the underground tunnel. The three of them had somehow lagged behind the rest of the group a while ago, and it seemed Ouma had no intention of catching up. No, apparently he’d rather heckle his ‘prisoner’. 

Hands in his pockets, Ryoma wondered just what he was trying to accomplish. Information? But then why not just come out and ask?

Stifling a sigh, he frowned. Because that purple haired brat would rather talk in circles and make things more complicated. And for some reason, Amami always indulged him. 

“Ah, Ouma-kun!” A concerned shout rang out, and Ryoma felt his head snapping up only to take in the sight of the boy laying sprawled out face down on the ground. 

He scrambled to his side, but Amami was already there, hands turning him over and then lifting him up to lean against his shoulder, a serious look on his face. 

“Ah, geez! I’m fine, you idiot! You can let go of me now!” Ouma scowled and swatted at the other boy’s shoulder, looking annoyed. 

Question Mark stayed silent, not paying the boy any mind as he instead started walking again, making Ouma come with him. 

“Hey, Amami-chan! What gives!? I said I’m fine! It was your fault I tripped in the-“ He was cut off mid word as the green haired boy suddenly stopped. Then, he turned his head and smiled.

“Yeah, sorry, Ouma-kun.” And before he could utter any more complaints, Amami quickly scooped him up and somehow managed to get him up on his back, hands supporting his legs. And then he started walking again. 

Ryoma would savor the wide eyed look of complete surprise on Ouma’s face for a long time to come. 

The Supreme Leader sighed dramatically, as if he were being bordered with something extremely troublesome. “This is what I was talking about, you know. You’re really pissing me off now, Amami-chan. You’re so dumb!” 

Question Mark hummed, smile never leaving his face. “Sorry, but I can’t just leave someone who looks so pale… Besides, how could I abandon our leader? What kind of minion would I be then?” 

Ouma’s dark eyes closed as he burrowed into green hair with a grumble. “You’re just a prisoner, don’t think so highly of yourself…” 

“Is that so? Ahaha, my bad. I’ve never been very good at these games.” 

“Argh! Just shut up and let’s get this stupid tunnel over and done with already! You can do that, right?” The purple haired boy practically bit out the words as he tightened his grip on Amami, voice clearly frustrated.

Ryoma had to give it to him, Amami knew not to push too far. And to be honest, seeing Ouma get like that had been nice to see. He wondered at what point he’d started smiling. Somehow, as he glanced over at Question Mark, at the smile on his face that looked faded at the edges, as if he hadn’t used it in a while… He found himself thinking that Amami could be surprisingly kind. 

“Hoshi-kun.” The boy next to him spoke quietly what could have been an hour or just thirty minutes later, green eyes staring ahead. He hummed back, hands back in his pockets.

“What do you think of Ouma-kun?” For such an innocent question, Amami sure looked serious. But he didn’t even have to think of his answer, it kind of just tumbled out.

“He’s a total brat. A crappy liar and someone who laughs when they shouldn’t. But…” He trailed off.

“But?” 

Ryoma smirked. “He’s not the kind of person who’d kill someone. Wasn’t that what you wanted to hear?”

Amami turned to look at him and then looked away again. Ryoma couldn’t help but notice that his fingers were twisting the fabric of Ouma’s pants, fidgeting. 

“…I suppose so.” 

He tugged his hat down. “Anything else you wanted to ask while he’s asleep?” 

The green haired boy frowned and stayed silent. Guess that’s a no, Ryoma thought silently. Whatever his deal was, he stayed quiet for the rest of their attempt through the tunnel. 

On their sixth try, Amami finally spoke up again. Somehow, he didn’t look tired from having lugged around Ouma all this time. 

“When we escape this place, what will be the first thing you do, Hoshi-kun?” 

Ryoma tilted his head and let the question sit for a few seconds. “Probably go home and sleep.”

The green haired boy suddenly laughed, and looked just as surprised as Ryoma felt when he turned his head. 

“Haha, I’m sorry, I just wasn’t expecting such a… normal answer. Truth be told, it’s a little refreshing.” 

He chuckled. “Heh. Everyone else here too unique for you?”

Question Mark smiled sheepishly, eyes bright. “Well… Maybe. Though, I don’t think it’s a bad thing! It just can get a little much sometimes. It’s nice to find someone else who’s… boring? Ah, that’s not quite the word.” 

Ryoma grinned. “Nah, I get it. You’re saying we’re the only normal ones here, right? Well, I don’t disagree with you there.” Though it wasn’t as if Amami was all that ‘normal’ in the first place. 

The other boy laughed again, the sound airy, as if he hadn’t used it in a long time. 

“You’re really something else, Hoshi-kun. I look forward to seeing what everyone else will do when we escape, too.” 

He looked up at the ceiling of the tunnel and started imagining what that kind of chaos would be like.

“Yeah.” 

He wanted to see that as well.

After too many tries to count, over and over and over, when Akamatsu next spoke up, he cut in. Just with a glance to the rest of the group, he could already tell that they were getting dangerously fatigued. Amami seemed to be holding up surprisingly well, but there was still a sheen of sweat sticking to his forehead, even as he insisted he was fine whenever Ryoma brought up the idea of carrying Ouma instead. Stubborn idiot.

“I think we’re all getting pretty tired, Akamatsu. Why don’t we call it a day for now?” Just as it looked like she was going to protest, Iruma chimed in. 

“Yeah! I’m fucking tired of this stupid tunnel! You guys can do whatever you want, but I’m not going back in for anything! Not even if you paid me!” 

“I am reluctant to admit it, but I am not operating at maximum efficiency at the moment… It would make more sense for us to rest and then try again, if we so choose.” 

“Nyeh… I’m all out of MP.” 

Most everyone expressed the same concerns, and seeing as almost all of them were in agreement, soon made for the dormitories. Akamatsu was left looking a bit shell-shocked. 

“Is… Is this my fault? Did I push everyone too hard?” She muttered to herself, biting her lip.

“Hey, don’t be too hard on yourself, Akamatsu-san. Personally, I think you’re doing a good job leading us. Tomorrow we can try again, right?” Amami smiled at her, eyes gentle. 

Momota also couldn’t allow his words to go unheard. “Yeah! You’re doing just fine! So don’t worry about it, alright? There’s no doubt we’ll find an exit somewhere if we just keep searching!” 

“Amami-san, Momota-san… Thank you!” She smiled back, eyes looking a bit shiny, but bright all the same. She certainly was strong.

As he and Amami went up to Ouma’s door to drop him off, it appeared as if his door was locked. Which was strange, because Ryoma knew for a fact that the doors only locked from the inside. 

Could Ouma have locked his own door somehow? 

Whatever the reason… “What should we do now?” It just figured that Ouma’s room would be as difficult as its owner.

“I suppose one of us will have to have a guest for tonight. It’s not like we can go ask somebody else, huh?” Amami sighed, sounding faintly exasperated.

“Well, if it’s just for tonight, then I don’t really mind…” Ryoma started heading for his door, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He turned around, arching an eyebrow.

The green haired boy tilted his head and looked to the side. “Actually… would it be alright if he stayed with me?” 

Ryoma blinked, surprised. “Why?” 

Amami was silent for a moment. “…I want to have a conversation with him when he wakes up.” 

‘And you couldn’t do that at breakfast?’, Ryoma wanted to ask. But knowing this guy, there were probably a number of reasons why it had to be the next morning, no matter how ominous it sounded. Maybe Ouma would have wanted to as well, had he been awake. Or maybe he wouldn’t have trusted Amami as far as he could throw him. 

But it was true that there were a lot of things the two of them had been dancing around, never really slowing down to bring it out into the air. And maybe he could say no and bring Ouma to his room instead, but… For some reason, it felt like they really did need to talk. As he felt his decision solidify in his mind, he hoped desperately that he wasn’t making a mistake. 

He genuinely liked Amami. He didn’t want to have a reason to hurt him.

“You aren’t going to do anything to him.” He spoke the words as if they were half promise, half threat. Because if the other boy turned out to not be the kind of person he was just getting to know… 

Well, he was sure Ouma would enjoy having someone to get revenge with.

“I promise.” Amami stared back with sharp green eyes, mouth in a straight line. He looked painfully sincere.

Ryoma cocked his head and let a smirk wind itself around his mouth, black eyes pinning the other boy in place.

“If you break it, I’ll show you why they call me the Demon of the Court.” 

Amami didn’t back down, a smile suddenly making its home on his face. His whole expression seemed to warm. “I understand. I’ll take care of him. Thank you for trusting me…”

And before he turned to go to his room, the green haired boy left him with one last parting shot. 

“Onii-san.” 

Ryoma choked on the breath he was about to take, coughing. With wide eyes, he watched as the back of Amami Rantarou steadily walked further away. What had that been about? A way to tease him? Or was he implying something?

He drug a palm across his face. Whatever that guy had meant, he just knew that he’d had a smug smile on his face as he left. Geez. What a seriously troublesome guy.

As he lay in bed that night, he couldn’t stop thinking of those last words. Onii-san… No one had ever called him that before. An image of Ouma came to mind for some reason then, one where he said…

A strange happiness unfurled in his chest, warm and tentative. He steadily ignored whatever he’d been thinking of and instead put it down to no one having died yet. 

That night, he dreamed of his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It me!!! ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ This chapter was a lot of fun to write, especially all the interaction between Rantarou and Ryoma. They're very interesting to think about! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!!! <3


	7. Chapter 7

He couldn’t sleep that night. Well, not like he’d slept much at all since he’d got here. And it wasn’t as if he weren’t used to it, but still… 

His thoughts wouldn’t leave him alone. They crept up and wound around his throat like a greedy vice, refusing to let go. What was he supposed to do? There was so much he didn’t know, about this game, about these people, about his stolen memories. 

About himself. 

When it really came down to it, who was he? Just a glass half empty with nothing more to show? No smoke and mirrors here, folks. What you see is what you get. 

And there really wasn’t much of himself left to give away.

He was grasping at smoke, he knew. He always was, reaching out just to slip and fall through, back to the same place. What use was surviving when he was the one left behind?

‘Trust no one.’

He was so tired, and so scared. Haha. If only his sisters could see him now. Would they be laughing at him? Or would they scold him for making them worry? 

Probably a little bit of both. And then they’d all hug him, in typical Amami tradition. Wouldn’t let him leave home for at least a week. (They knew by now he wouldn’t stay in one place for much longer. His feet would inevitably wander somewhere new. But they didn’t mind. Never had. Because he was never away for too long.)

He felt as if he were supposed to be crying, but his eyes were dry. 

He did his best to settle on the other side of the bed, laying on his back and staring at the ceiling. He stayed like that for a long time, fingers picking at the sheets restlessly.

“…Amami-chan?” A voice from beside him made itself heard, all tense syllables and masked paranoia. By now, he was used to it. 

He turned over and faced Ouma-kun. The other boy had a blank expression, his fists clenched beside him as he stumbled into sitting up. Dark eyes scrutinized him as if he were a tiger caught in a salt circle.

In other words, nothing out of the ordinary.

“Good morning. Or maybe night? It’s hard to say.” Saying so, he sat up himself and reached for his monopod on the table next to his bed, turning it on only to see the display proclaiming it sometime around three in the morning.

“Good morning it is.” He allowed himself to smile. Meanwhile, Ouma-kun just stared, bewilderment and caution clear on his face. His purple hair stuck out in all directions, messy and uncontrolled. 

Like this, it was painfully clear just why Hoshi-kun was so attached.

When the silence stretched for a few minutes, not yet being broken, he spoke up once again, fingers digging deep into the covers. 

“You fell asleep on the way back from the tunnel. Hoshi-kun and I were going to drop you off at your room, but it was locked. So I decided to take you back to mine, instead. Sorry I don’t have much to offer in the way of hospitality.” He spread to his hands around to encompass the room, shrugging as if to say, ‘What can you do?’ 

The boy opposite him leaned on his knees and scowled. “What about Hoshi-chan?” 

“Haha, he really didn’t want me to take you back to my room, but I managed to convince him. But he really let me have it…”He ran a hand through his hair, and then tipped his head forward and smiled back at glaring purple eyes.

“He’s a very good big brother, huh?”

For a moment, it seemed as if Ouma-kun had stopped breathing. His entire body froze, complete shock washing over his face, there and then gone. Soon, he started laughing, head hanging down. 

His signature laugh turned into cackles and then into something rather unsettling. Slowly, he looked back up, expression twisted.

“Wooow, Amami-chan sure is dumb! Thinking I would ever call that guy something like my brother! How pathetic! He’s just some muscle to keep around for when the time calls for it. A nobody just like everyone else here, not even good enough for playing cops and robbers!” The purple haired boy sneered, eyes dark as he leaned in. Somehow, he was still smiling.

At that moment, it seemed as if all the light in the room had been sucked into that smile. Devoured and destroyed and absorbed into nothingness. Just like a black hole.

“And Amami-chan is the most worthless one here. He doesn’t even remember his talent, the poor thing! I almost feel bad. But oops! That was a lie.” Ouma-kun laughed, leaned back and stood from the bed, turning towards the door. 

“You should really learn when to shut up. Right, Amami-chan?” 

Rantarou stared. That. Hadn’t really been what he’d expected. It sure had been… a lot. It had been so much in fact, that he had no idea how to feel about any of it whatsoever. Was he supposed to get angry? Sad? Some other emotion that was probably appropriate for the situation? 

He mostly felt confused. Ouma-kun sure was… a person alright. What was he supposed to say in response to something like that? Normally, he wouldn’t have said anything, but he really wanted to talk about something other than Ouma-kun’s… trust issues? (Fear of attachment? He wasn’t sure.) 

He dug his nails hard into his palms and just went for it. (And ignored the ice digging its way deeper into his skin.) 

“Have you heard of something called the Ultimate Hunt?” His heart was pounding and pounding and pounding. He’d once had a dream where it burst and a flower had grown out of the hole left behind.

Ouma-kun didn’t turn around. 

“Nope.” He just quietly turned the doorknob and exited. 

Rantarou looked down at his hands and went to wash the blood off. Then he flopped back onto his bed and burrowed under the blankets until he was utterly surrounded.

It didn’t fix anything. But he didn’t feel quite as alone when he was like this. It was almost like he was back home, having a sleep over on the front yard with his sisters. Blankets and pillows and limbs strewn everywhere; a tight fit for one tent. But no one would have complained, because it would have been a time where they were all together. And one of them, probably the youngest, the brat, would have dived on top of them all, blanket in her hands. The only one big enough to fit all of them, the one two of them had made over three winters. And he would have fallen asleep in that pitch blackness, his family next to him.

This wasn’t the same, but he had learned to take comfort in what he could. 

He didn’t know what he was doing. What he was supposed to do. ‘Trust no one.’ That note from his second Monopad. It was one of the only clues he had. But how was he supposed to trust it when he couldn’t even trust himself? If only he had his memories, if only he knew what his talent was.

But he didn’t. And he’d taken a look at the map he’d been gifted. He’d seen where the secret passage in the library was, and he’d tried to enter, but it needed some sort of key card. He was running on fumes at this point, and he knew it. 

He might as well try something new, no matter how suspicion raked claws down his spine at the thought. It wasn’t as if he had anything to lose. (Your life, your memories, **yoursistersyoursistersyoucantlosethem**.)

Rantarou inhaled a deep breath of air and struggled against the feeling that he was drowning. He would try. He would try his best to trust everyone, as much as he could. They were all doing their best, weren’t they? They all wanted out, too. The least he could do was trust that. (Trust that they might murder just to-) 

Ouma-kun and Hoshi-kun. He could honestly say the two of them had been suspicious from the start, but at the same time…

He really, really liked them. The way they would bicker, like siblings. The way Ouma-kun talked in circles and lied just because he could. Hoshi-kun’s dislike for noisiness but how he would hide a smile when he let out a remark that silenced it. The way the two of them worked well together, at each other’s side and hardly separated. They really did make a good team, as unlikely as it had first seemed. 

And he… he wanted to trust them. Based on nothing other than his own thoughts. Because even his instincts were telling him to stay away. (Don’t go climbing mountains without a map, silly boy.) 

But he’d already established that he couldn’t trust himself. What was one more mistake to add to the pile? Nothing, really, in the grand scheme of things.

It’s not like it would change anything, really. They would still be stuck here, forced to play a game that was too much like what the rest of the world was. Ugly and violent.

Rantarou ran his thumbs over the piercings in his ear. They were cold and smooth to the touch. 

It felt like he’d accomplished something. A sort of personal victory? Over himself? It felt like something to celebrate, anyway. He let himself imagine a chocolate cake with the words, ‘Congratulations on being a person.’ It would be delicious. 

Then, he rolled over and closed his eyes. He could win at the rest of life in the morning. The later than now morning. Whenever he woke up. 

He couldn’t say he was excited for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, this chapter!! It was such a blast to write!!! It's probably my favorite I've written so far. Rantarou's character is super fascinating to dive into!! Hope you enjoyed! :D


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning, he woke up feeling refreshed. Nothing like a little rest to sweep away all the bad dreams. Though there wasn’t much to be done about the reality they were in. For now, anyways.

It was time for breakfast. 

Tying his scarf around his neck and his cape around his shoulders, Kokichi set off for the dining hall. As much as he’d like to pretend he could shadow Amami-chan and Hoshi-chan’s every move, he knew it just wasn’t possible. So he’d allow the two of them to sleep in this time. Besides, he was already used to making moves by himself.

The only other person up so early and wanting food was apparently Chabashira-chan. She was sitting peacefully, drinking tea and eating omurice. 

“Nishishi, you’re up awfully early!” He placed his hands on his hips and grinned, eyes twinkling when she jumped at his voice. Seemed she had been lost in her own head! He gave himself a mental point for breaking the peace and quiet. He was the Ultimate Supreme Leader, right?

He might as well start getting into character.

“Ah, Ouma-san… Wait, so are you! What are you laughing about!?” The martial artist scowled at him, and her face… So expressive! Teasing people like that really was the best. 

“Nothing, nothing! Anyways, could you make me some too?” He tilted his head and smiled innocently, widening his eyes.

Chabashira-chan glared death. So scary! It made him want to giggle. She was just too easy. 

But then she surprised him. Sighing, her expression evened out as she reluctantly stood. “…Tenko guess she could. Tenko still… So just wait a little bit.” She even gave him a smile as she walked into the kitchen.

How strange. He didn’t really know what she had been muttering about, but if he got free food, it was a win-win! He took a seat next to hers and started idly drumming his fingers on the table. He wished he had a knife to play with, but alas. He was too lazy to go and get one. 

“…” It was a bit strange to not have Amami-chan or Hoshi-chan with him. He’d gotten so used to them… Too used to them, a part of him whispered in the back of his mind. He shushed it. He could allow two pawns to follow him. But not walk beside you, another part stated.

He smiled and thought no. He couldn’t afford to have any friends or allies in this game, not if he wanted to win. He was just using them, like they were with him. ( **Liar**.) 

_“He’s a very good big brother, huh?”_ Stupid Amami-chan. Of course not. How could he be? (How could he want to be something like that to him?)

Of course they weren’t anything to each other. Hoshi Ryoma and Ouma Kokichi were people whose worlds would never meet. (Then why did you take his hand…?)

And Amami-chan. Well, it was plain to see he was just trying to manipulate him. He wasn’t sincere at all. (Like you?) He was probably the most suspicious one here! That was why he’d even captured him in the first place. (You’re under arrest!)

Those two weren’t his friends. And they never would be. ( **imsorryijustwantedliarliarliarwouldtheybeproudofme** )

“…Ouma-san?” Chabashira-chan had returned with his food, a concerned expression on her face. He opened his mouth, but before he could even laugh she had set the plate down and rubbed her thumb gently across his cheek.

He felt something wet sliding down, and she softly brushed those away too. 

“I was supposed to be making you breakfast as an apology, but now it seems I have to say sorry for making you cry. Were you that impatient for my cooking?” It was obvious what she was trying to do, and yet he breathed out a laugh anyway. He couldn’t help it. He was weak to jokes.

“Y-yup! I couldn’t wait for Chabashira-chan’s homemade breakfast filled with love. Didn’t you know that it’s the ninth wonder of the world?” His voice was shaky and quiet, but they both pretended as if it weren’t. 

The girl next to him smiled at him and asked, “What’s the eighth?” 

He grinned back. “Me, of course!” And she laughed at that, eyes lighting up. 

Once his face was completely dry, the martial artist nudged his plate towards him and looked at him expectantly. Hiding a smile, he began to eat. As expected, it was delicious.

“Ah! Tenko almost forgot. Here!” He glanced down at what she’d placed next to him, only to be surprised yet again that morning. 

It was his favorite grape soda. How had she even…? 

She started fidgeting and looked down. “Tenko saw you drinking it yesterday morning, and thought you must like it if you went out of your way to ask Toujou-san for it. And Tenko thought… would this be a good apology?” Her face was pink and her eyes shut, as if afraid to look at him. She seemed embarrassed. 

He could have been a jerk about it and teased her. But he didn’t. Because even in a place like this, he wanted to try to be kind. (Wanted to try being better.) She deserved that much.

So he noisily cracked the top open and began drinking it, smiling widely when she glanced at him. 

“Thank you!” 

Some time passed in comfortable silence as he ate, Chabashira-chan still drinking her tea even though it had gone cold. 

“But you know, you didn’t have to apologize in the first place. You already said sorry before, right?” 

She breathed out calmly and turned to face him again. 

“Tenko knows… But Tenko just felt so guilty. She had to do something to show how sorry she was!” 

He chuckled and twirled a piece of his hair between his fingers. “Well, consider yourself forgiven! That meal was worth at least nine more apologies too, so you have some extra credit stored up! Feel free to really go wild next time!” 

Chabashira-chan stared at him like she wasn’t sure if she wanted to smack him or hug him. Huffing, she decided to jab her hand into his ribs instead, which was probably the worst thing she could have done.

He burst out laughing all of a sudden and squirmed away, covering his face as giggles erupted from his mouth. A shadow loomed over him then, and he knew he was done for.

“Hey, no fair! Your credit is falling into the red now! Do you want to go bankrupt, Chabashira-chan!?” But he already knew she wasn’t going to listen.

And so, this was the scene the others (save a few stragglers) walked into: Chabashira furiously tickling a rather desperate looking Ouma who was laughing uncontrollably, maniacal grin on her face. 

“What did we just walk into?” Momota asked, scratching the back of his head in bewilderment. 

“I’d rather not know.” Shinguuji sighed and looked as if he were considering walking back out.

Before he could, a pair of hands pushed him forward roughly, making him stumble and then fall near the two of them. 

“Why don’t you make it a threesome!?” Iruma was cackling as the anthropologist tried to get up, only to trip over a chair. As he attempted to regain his balance, he fell again, this time on Ouma.

“S-shinguuji- chan! Help, help me! Shishishishi!” Breathless little giggles rang throughout the room, along with Chabashira’s denials, making all of them smile.

It was a good atmosphere to wake up to, and it filled all of them with the optimistic thought that today really might be the day they escape. 

If someone could be laughing like that, things weren’t all bad, were they?

As Ryoma opened the door to the dining hall and took in the absolute chaos that was happening, he tugged his hat down and sighed in exasperation. 

But he was glad that Ouma was alright, even if he was currently squeaking out demands for help. 

Smirking and with his hands in his pockets, he prepared to enter the warzone. He might as well save the brat, before he turned any redder.

If he ruffled Ouma’s hair just to make sure he really was alright, well. Nobody was saying anything.

Especially not Ouma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Tenko. :") Enjoy the fluff!!! (While it lasts~.) It's easy to forget sometimes that Ouma is still a kid just like the rest of them. I hope I managed to portray that side of him well! Hope you enjoyed!! :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Free Time start! :D

And then, before anyone could get too comfortable in the warm atmosphere that had overtaken the dining hall, Monokuma appeared and introduced a motive: The First Blood Perk. The first murder committed will have no class trial.

_“The first one’s free!”_

Of course, they all protested, Akamatsu most of all. She was their leader, after all. And then Amami had brought up the prisoner’s dilemma... As they all stood there in tense silence, Ryoma thought then that they would all go somewhere else. Anything to escape the looks on each other’s faces.

But someone spoke up. 

“Of course we’re not going to let that damn bear do what he wants! We’re in this together, right guys!? So we can’t lose! As long as we cooperate, we’ll be fine. That’s what I believe! So don’t look so down!” Momota gave them all a confidant smile, eyes burning. It hadn’t taken him long at all to bounce back, apparently. 

Ouma put his hands behind his head. “Geez, Momota-chan! I didn’t need you to tell me that when I already knew! I am the Ultimate Supreme Leader, you know? Everyone’s united under my command!” 

“Who’s united!?” The astronaut snapped back, expression quickly growing exasperated. 

Before they could bicker any further, Yonaga stepped between them and grabbed onto Ouma’s arm, smiling.

“No fighting! God says we won’t ever find peace with ourselves if we never make peace with others!” 

The brat turned to her, eyes twinkling like stars. “Okay, Angie-chan! Leave this to me, nishishi!” 

He went up to Momota, and quick as a flash, stood on his tip toes to flick him on the nose. The Ultimate Astronaut turned red and then made a grab for Ouma, who dodged. Again and again, until the two of them were caught in a game of cat and mouse, except the cat was the one being chased. Gleeful laughter fell from the purple haired boy’s lips, and Yonaga put a hand to her mouth to hide her grin.

“Ouma-kun is certainly… lively.” Kiibo tilted his head as he observed the other boy, a look of curiosity clear on his face. 

“Don’t remind me…” Shinguuji muttered, distaste flashing through his eyes, lips pursed. Poor guy. He’d completely been detained by him earlier…

“Ooh! Looks like Shota really wore you out!” Iruma leered suggestively. 

The anthropologist glared intensely, moving to take a step towards her. She eeped and stepped back. Before Shinguuji could attempt the first murder, Akamatsu cut in with a sheepish look, seeming a little flustered.

“A-anyway, I think now would be a good time to go our separate ways. Breakfast is over, and after… that, I think we could all use this time to relax! Maybe we could even spend some time getting to know each other or looking for another way out?” She smiled at everyone and, after dragging Saihara with her, left the room. 

Most of them followed suit, even Momota (after swearing revenge under his breath), leaving Ryoma alone with Amami, Ouma, Yonaga, Chibashira and Shirogane. An odd group, to be sure.

“Ouma-kun! Angie has been looking forward to spending more time with you!” She smiled brightly and took his hand, leading him towards the door before he could say anything. Not that he looked to be complaining. In fact, he looked excited.

Chabashira was shocked for a short moment before her expression firmed. “Don’t just take him with you! How presumptuous!” She ran to catch up with them.

Didn’t you just want to spend more time with him…? 

Ryoma chuckled. She sure was a strange one. What was it about Ouma that drew people like that?

“Ah, this is where I take my leave too. I’m still not feeling all that awake… I didn’t get that much sleep last night…” Amami gave a casual wave over his shoulder as he exited. Truth be told, he did look tired.

And then there were two… He sighed and tugged at his hat, looking up at Shirogane. She looked back at him, tilting her head in question.

He looked away, and after a few beats…

“Wanna hang out?” 

The cosplayer levelled him with wide eyes and an open mouth, as if he had just said something outrageous. What had been so surprising about that!? 

Then, her eyes practically shone as she smiled and clapped her hands together excitedly. “Ah! This must be what Tsuna-kun felt like when Yamamoto-kun walked him to school the next morning!” What.

First of all. He wasn’t sure if he appreciated being compared to a hitman. Secondly, why reference that in the first place!?

“Alright, Hoshi-kun! Why don’t we search the school for clues! We’ll be like Ranpo-kun; unstoppable detectives!” Switching anime again!?

As she looked at him with a face full of excitement, he wondered just when he’d thought that this girl was normal. She was just like the rest of them.

He blew out a sigh, but felt himself smiling all the same. 

“…Alright.” He’d suggested it in the first place, after all. It’d be pretty uncool to bail now.

As she cheered and grabbed his hand, he wondered to himself just what he had gotten himself into.

But it hadn’t gone entirely as he’d suspected. Sure, she’d been way too energetic about researching the school, but…

She hadn’t been overbearing about it at all. She just focused all of her energy into looking over sights they’d already seen, but not asking him to help once. Honestly, it was kind of nice.

It also gave him plenty of time to observe her. When they’d first met, he’d thought that she was the type to get overly excited. Now, he still thought that, but also that she was surprisingly hard working. The type of person to motivate herself to do something…

Not like him at all. It’d taken getting forced into a killing game to get him to care about living again. Heh. How ironic.

“Hoshi-kun, do you have a favorite anime?” Shirogane hummed, still examining an indentation in the wall.

“Yeah, I guess. Hikaru no Go, or Natsume’s Book of Friends. I always used to watch them whenever I got home from school.” He had a lot of fond memories of those times. Racing to his room and hurrying to find the next episode and burying himself in blankets, the lights off… Like a homemade theater.

“I see! So Hoshi-kun likes those types of shows! You know, it suits you. If your life were an anime, it would definitely be slice of life!” She smiled as she said it.

He felt his lips twitch. “…Heh. Thanks?” 

“Oh! What genre would I be in?” She came to a stop and put a hand to her hip, as if daring him to answer. Her glasses flashed. 

Why did it suddenly feel as if he were in the middle of a pop quiz…? Oh well. He didn’t really need to think about the answer. 

“Mystery.” 

She looked down at him, surprised, as if that hadn’t been quite the answer she’d anticipated. 

He looked away. “I think you’d made a pretty good detective, is all. You’re working hard.” 

A few seconds later, he heard a soft laugh, and glanced up to see her smiling, but it wasn’t one he could recall seeing. Like she was happy but sad at the same time.

“Ah, thank you for saying that about a plain person like me… But don’t you think we could be considered characters in a mystery show right now? I wonder who would be the protagonist…” Melancholy. She looked melancholy. 

He pulled his hat down. “Akamatsu, probably.”

“That’s right. But I wonder what the ending will be?” Shirogane clasped her hands together in front of her.

“…We’ll escape. All of us.” 

The cosplayer walked over to a window and placed a hand over it, spreading her fingers as if reaching for something. And then she turned around once more and nodded, any trace of sadness gone from her expression. 

“Yes, let’s do our best!” The two of them continued searching the school, but in the end, found nothing that would be any sort of exit. Well, he’d expected that.

Before they parted ways, Shirogane thanked him for going with her, exclaiming that next time they could something he suggested instead. 

He dipped his head in a nod and watched as she left. She definitely hadn’t been what he’d expected. He couldn’t get the look on her face out of his mind… Why had she reacted that way? Was there something he was missing? Or something she just wasn’t telling him?

Well. Everyone had their own stuff to deal with. Whatever caused her to react like that, it wasn’t his business. Besides, as weird as it may have sounded…

He was looking forward to next time. 

Meanwhile, three people were arguing over what to do. Well, it was more two people instead of three. One was just smiling at them both, enjoying the chaos.

“Angie planned to show Ouma-kun her prayer spot in her room! Chabashira-chan is welcome to join us!” The Ultimate Artist smiled as she swung her and the purple haired boy’s arms between them. 

The girl on the other side of him scowled and held his arm tighter. “And Tenko said that we’re going to meditate outside!” The martial artist glared, sparks coming from her eyes.

Angie-chan just smiled brighter and continued tugging him towards the dormitory. 

Chabashira-chan tugged him the other way, and his head lolled to the side as he didn’t even bother trying to fight gravity. He went limp, and was only prevented from falling over by the two pairs of hands holding him up. 

“Ouma-kun!”

“Are you alright!?” 

Their voices overlapped, and he tilted his head up at them, grinning. “Nishishi! Why don’t we play hide and seek!?”

They both stared. Then suddenly…

Ow! Chabashira-chan bopped him on the head and started scolding him. Something about never pulling a stunt like that again or he’d really be in trouble, blah blah blah. 

“Tenko was so worried!” She clenched her fists and seemed genuinely upset. Geez, it was just a little prank…

He puffed out his cheeks and stared at the ground, not saying anything.

“Ouma-kun? Angie was very worried too. She was so scared something bad had happened… What if you had been hurt?” Angie-chan bit her lip and wrapped her arms around herself, voice quiet.

He reluctantly looked up and took in their faces. They really had been worried for him, huh? He deflated. 

“Fine. I’m sorry. I just wanted to make you stop arguing! I thought it would be fun with all three of us, but… The two of you won’t stop fighting! It’s boring, and I’m not being entertained!” He crossed his arms, brows drawn together. A part of him hoped that they would blame him, but the other part…

“…Tenko is sorry, too. She wasn’t considering your feelings, was she? And… Yonaga-san.” He watched as she turned to face the white haired girl.

Chabashira-chan bowed, her head perfectly straight. “Tenko is sorry to you, as well. She wasn’t being fair.”

A strange feeling formed in his chest as she stayed like that for a moment before straightening again. A tentative smile was on her face.

“Angie was wrong too! She went against God’s teachings and let strife fill her heart! From now on, she will do better and let herself feel harmony!” Angie-chan smiled back, just as hesitant, and the feeling in his chest only grew.

Then, they face him at the same time and he knew what he was feeling. Happiness, taking root in his body and infecting it from the inside out. Why else couldn’t he stop smiling?

An invasive species was hard to get rid of.

“Ouma-kun! Promise not to do something like that again, okay?” 

Chabashira-chan loomed over her shoulder with a menacing expression, as if saying she would hide all the grape soda in the school if he refused. Hmm, she drove a hard bargain.

He sighed, unable to stop smiling as he lifted his pinky fingers and held them out to the both of them. They looked a little surprised at the both of them being included, nishishi. Like he was going to leave one of them out!

“Geez! I promise not to do something like that again. But only if the two of you don’t argue in front of me!” And before they could say anything, he shook their hands up and down once and then quickly let go, laughing. 

“It’s a promise now! No going back on it now or else you’ll be cursed for ten years!” 

Chabashira-chan gaped. “What kind of curse is that!?”

But Angie-chan just smiled and took his hand again to intertwine their fingers together. After a moment, she did the same with Chabashira-chan, who looked flustered. How funny!

“Why don’t we find a nice place outside to sit? Then everyone will be happy!” 

He looked over at the martial artist, who slowly started to smile back. 

“Tenko thinks that’s an excellent idea!”

He hummed as he started swinging his and Angie-chan’s linked hands in a rhythm. An adventure, huh? Sounded exciting!

“Then let’s go! Lead the way, peasants!” Of course, Chabashira-chan started protested being called a peasant, sounding exasperated when the other girl only laughed. 

The smile never left his face. His heart felt as if it were going to burst, and he wondered if happiness was something people could actually die from. Was that why other people held funerals? So that they could make everyone else sad so they wouldn’t die? It sounded like something from a book he’d read once.

Whatever. He was having fun! 

And what about not trusting anyone here, a voice in the back of his head asked.

Well, he thought back, fuck that. 

He’d been lying to himself anyways. He knew he could go through the effort of making everyone here distrust and hate him, and he’d probably be better off for it. 

But a boring plan like that didn’t sound any fun at all. A villain was only interesting when you weren’t expecting them, when they surprised you with their evil schemes and overwhelming power! 

But he wasn’t a villain, and this wasn’t the sort of game where you were supposed to beat one. 

Instead, he thought it’d be interesting to see just what his classmates could do when they worked together. And utterly ruined this killing game.

Nishishi. It sounded like the best idea he’d had in a while.


	10. Chapter 10

He spent time with Chabashira-chan and Angie-chan, just relaxing and laughing about nothing on the grass. A breeze ruffled his hair, and with the warmth on his skin, he could almost believe that they really were outside.

He would have stayed like that if he could, but Chabashira-chan said she’d promised to meet Yumeno-chan earlier. Just one look at her flustered face, all red and shy, made him grin. 

He knew Yumeno-chan wasn’t all that fond of her, but… That just meant she had to get to know Chabashira-chan, right? Right! So he gripped tight on her arm and hauled her up, almost losing his balance in the process. He giggled.

“Alright! Go get her! You can do it, Chabashira-chan! Just act natural!” 

She flailed, protesting and stuttering out denials. But nope! Such weak attacks wouldn’t get past him!

He shoved her towards the dormitory and smiled. 

“Tell me how it goes, okay?” And after a few minutes of looking unsure and fidgeting in place, the martial artist met his eyes and nodded, determined. He waved goodbye.

She would be fine. She was a lot stronger than first impressions made her seem. After all, she’d smiled while he’d been crying, hadn’t she? As if she knew just what to do; so confidant when it came to confronting emotion. Was that called being kind? Or just experienced? 

Either way, if it was Chabashira-chan… She’d surely get the girl and defeat the knight and dragon and kingdom all. And she’d be happy, because that’s how fairytales went. 

“Guess it’s just you and me now, Angie-chan! Looks like we’re just the supporting cast in this story, nishishi!” He grinned at her and plopped back down, wrapping his arms around his knees.

She smiled back, perpetually cheerful as always. Or at least trying to be. It had been the first thing he’d noticed about her. Aside from her hair, of course. It was pretty!

“So it seems! And even though it may be unkind of her to say, Angie has been looking forward to spending time together! There are so many things we can talk about!” Her excitement only served to hype him up even more.

He leaned in, eyes sparkling. “I’ve been waiting for this day to arrive, too! This must be fate!”

The white haired girl put a hand to her mouth and laughed, the sound light like twinkling bells. 

“God works in mysterious ways, to be sure! Maybe we were always meant to meet, somewhere?”

He laid his head in a palm and closed one of his eyes lazily, still grinning. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask… what is God?” He remembered when he first met her, how she’d lit up when he was interested in it.

She tilted her head back and serenely breathed out for a few seconds, then looked back at him.

“God, to Angie, is a constant presence, guiding and keeping her safe! A parent, sibling and friend all at once!” 

Ooh! “I see! But what about other gods? Aren’t there a lot? Are they all with you, too?” He’d never understood why people worshipped so many different ones. But the majority worshipped only one, right? 

Angie-chan waved a hand through the air. “They are with other people who need them. Angie has only ever needed God. Does Ouma-kun have someone with him?”

He shrugged and picked at a blade of grass. 

“Not really. When I was younger, I used to attend a lot of funerals. There was always someone there speaking about religion, about how the people who died were in a better place. I still don’t get that.” He looked back at her, wind brushing against his cheek.

“How could they be somewhere else if they’re dead? Isn’t that it?”

Angie-chan hummed and began gently picking flowers. His fingers twitched as he thought about stealing one and hiding it in Amami-chan’s shoe. Do flower petals tickle?

“Most people believe there’s something after death. A place where you go to be at peace, or, for criminals and evil humans, a place to be judged. Angie believes in heaven! When she dies, she wants to go there and meet God and all her loved ones who’ve died. And we’ll get to spend our days peacefully like that!” 

How interesting. A place after death…

“Hmm, I don’t think I can really believe in that. Sorry, Angie-chan. And I don’t know what to think about God or all the others ones, or about religion. Maybe once I meet them, I’ll change my mind. But for now, I’m happy just being alive.” And that was the honest truth. It felt weird to say, made him want to go oops and pretend it was a lie (fix your mistake). 

But he’d made up his mind to try. (He ignored itchy feeling of static running across his skin, the sweat on his palms, how his head kept saying to run.) He… he wanted to try making friends.

As if she could tell, Angie-chan smiled at him warmly and took his hand, squeezing it. 

“That’s okay! There’s already a place in heaven for you, Ouma-kun.” 

He didn’t really know why, but those words made him want to cry. Well, it wasn’t out of the ordinary for him. He’d always been a crybaby, after all.

“Hehe. Thanks.” He wasn’t just saying it for that. 

But by the way her smile softened and she placed a flower crown on his head coloured with purple and white, she probably already knew. 

Hoshi Ryoma sat across from their leader, the both of them drinking in the calm quietness that was hard to find in a place like this. 

They were in a classroom, having run into each other a while ago. Akamatsu had looked so happy to invite him to sit with her, he just couldn’t refuse. Besides, it was nice to just relax like this.

“Hoshi-kun, do you think I’m being a good leader?” He watched as she stared down at her hands, clenched into fists. Her expression was conflicted.

He didn’t say anything and let her talk.

“Because… we still haven’t made any progress, have we? Even though everyone’s been trying so hard. I don’t know, it just makes me feel…” She let out a quiet little chuckle. 

“Useless.”

He blew out a breath. “Everyone feels like that sometimes, no matter who they are. And I’m not saying that to mean that what you’re feeling is something light. Cause I know from experience just how hard it is to think that what you’re doing is pointless. You can believe me or not, but…”

“What I’m trying to say is, Akamatsu… from where I’m sitting, you’re doing a pretty good job. You’re helping all of us escape, aren’t you?” He turned to her and smirked.

“Cheer up, Leader.” 

She wiped a hand across her eyes and nodded, smile blinding. Then she raised a fist as if she were some sort of heroine from an old epic. 

“I will! Sorry for troubling you with all of this, Hoshi-kun. Oh, I know! As thanks, why don’t I play you something on the piano?” With her back straight and head held high, she held out a hand to him.

Feeling himself chuckle, he got up and accepted it. “Sure.”

As she played the piano in her lab, a happy and warm song springing from it and reminding him of evening sunsets, they talked leisurely. About this and that, as well as their impressions of their classmates. Seemed as if she had been holding in some of those opinions for a while now, he thought with humor.

“I had fun, Hoshi-kun! Thank you again for cheering me up! Now I can get back on track with one hundred percent focus!” 

They bid each other goodbye and went their separate ways. On his way into the dormitory, he saw the strange sight of Amami and Shinguuji talking together by the stairs…

Amami seemed slightly unsure of what was happening, while the anthropologist looked far too invested in whatever he was saying to notice. Or maybe he just didn’t care.

He caught Question Mark’s eyes. They seemed to be pleading with him somewhat, and was that a request for help he was seeing? Heh.

He shrugged at him and lazily walked to his room, opening the door with a smirk. The sound of Shinguuji’s rather one-sided conversation drifted quiet as he closed it.

He’d probably regret that later, but for now he would settle for feeling satisfied remembering the look on the green haired boy’s face as he’d walked past. 

Call it his revenge for last night.


	11. Chapter 11

_Once upon a time, there was a princess with hair so black it shone blue in the right light, who vowed to rule the world. For, as all princess inevitably must do, she would one day make herself into a powerful queen. Whether in power or diplomacy, she would rule._

_But she wanted something else._

….

_Once upon a time, a kingdom sent out a call for any warriors capable enough to rescue their missing princess, who had been taken hostage by a dragon. One brave young man had already answered and set off on his journey, but a young girl soon stepped up and proclaimed herself as fast as the wind. I will steal the princess back in three days or less, she bragged._

_And when she got to the tower in one and a half days’ time, she marched up the steps, ignoring the broken body of the young man before her._

_She soon reached the top and there they were. Her princess and the dragon, looking back at her warily. So she did the only thing there was to do, and-_

_Went back home for dinner, because her mother didn’t care if she was ruining a grand quest of heroism._

….

_Once upon a time, she was a princess. A prince, a cat, a wizard, a dragon, a knight, a peasant, one after the other. And sometimes, in particularly peculiar adventures, she was a mix of one thing and another all at once._

_It was fun, and she was happy. Still, it wasn’t what she was looking for._

….

_One day, all of her adventures vanished and disappeared without a trace. They took her along with them._

….

_Once, there had been a princess and a promise to rule the world. Now, there was only her._

She looked to her hands and wondered what people thought when they saw them. Did they think how easy it would be to break them? She had never broken a bone before, but would the end result be beautiful or hideous?

Was breaking a person like breaking a bone? Just as quick and easy, if you had the right force? Or was it harder?

She didn’t know, but she suspected that soon she would. And she wasn’t particularly looking forward to the sight, but that was how it was when you signed up for this job. 

Put plainly, she was the mastermind.

She stifled a smile at the thought that soon she would be able to join Harukawa-san in the Horrible Murderers Club. It dropped when she remembered that the secret wasn’t out yet. A pity. 

It would have been nice to have a friend before this school became a tomb. 

She thought back to Hoshi-san and barely stopped herself from laughing. The end result was a half-step forward as her mouth twitched and unconsciously formed a grimace. What a joke.

He was genuinely a good person, and it was hilarious how he thought that they were even alike in that regard. Or was it a compliment towards her acting? Either way, he was a fool. What did he think he was doing? He hung around Ouma-san and Amami-san like they were all attached with glue. 

If left to their own devices, those two would be trouble, she just knew it. Especially Amami-san. Who knew what he would do with the information he’d been given? No, better to get rid of an uneven stitch before it unraveled everything else.

She hoped he was the first to die. If not, she could always come up with something as things moved forward. 

Either way, Amami-san wouldn’t be living very long this time. She would make sure of it.

As time passed by slowly, soon the days passed without a single person murdering. She was both disappointed and a little amused. Was this a new record, she wondered?

Quickly, it became all too clear that she was correct when Monokuma announced a time limit. 

She wondered if they really would kill all of them if a murder didn’t occur. Probably not, but she wouldn’t be surprised. All things considered, that would probably be a bad ending. Maybe even the worst.

Killed before she could even do anything. It sounded oddly fitting, but it disturbed her enough that she stripped the thought from her mind altogether.

Looking around at her classmates as they panicked, Tsumugi thought to herself that really, when it came down to it, she was just as powerless. 

But so long as they were watching, none of that even mattered. She had a part to play as well.

A loud slam echoed throughout the dining room, and as she looked over, she found the group’s illustrious leader, pale but determined. 

A part of her admitted she was jealous. Akamatsu-san was the Ultimate Pianist and yet she’d somehow become a kind of glue that kept the group afloat. She didn’t admit to the burning feeling crawling down her throat, the kind that made your face blank.

“Listen up! I know you’re scared. Scared of what someone can do, of this rule, of everything. But that’s okay! Look around. So is everyone else. We’re all terrified, and maybe it isn’t much, but it’s something we can use.” Her eyes burned like fire, and no one there could look away.

Even Tsumugi.

Akamatsu-san slowly smiled as she looked at everyone, one at a time. It was the kind of smile you would find on hungry wolves and cunning foxes.

It was a smile that said, ‘I’m coming for you.’ And it was aimed straight at her. Eyes wide, she stood there in silence as their leader continued.

“Most of us have made friends here. Look at them and remember. Would they kill you? Would you kill them? If the answer is anything but no, then you’re wrong. Nobody here is a killer, and I can promise you that. If you haven’t made a friend yet, then look at me. I’m your friend, and I assure you, no one will kill you on my watch. I won’t allow it.” Standing firm in her own conviction, Akamatsu-san was fierce and gentle all at once as her smile softened.

“If we stick together, I believe there’s nothing we can’t overcome. We’ve made it this far, haven’t we? We can’t give up now! So please. Let’s keep working together, alright?” 

They all looked at her with shocked eyes, maybe even a little awed. Tsumugi didn’t blame them. It seemed she’d underestimated Akamatsu-san after all. It was hard not to believe her when she sounded so sure of herself, so sincere in what she said. 

She truly did believe in everyone here, as unbelievable as it seemed. 

“Hell yeah! Now that’s what I’m talking about, Akamatsu! Didn’t I tell you that things would work out?” Momota-san grinned and laughed as he ruffled her hair. 

As she smiled back warmly, a purple blur shot forward and practically tackled her, almost making her fall over as she stumbled.

“Ouma-kun!?” 

“Hey, what are you doing, you little-“

He laughed at them both, eyes sparkling. 

“I was just congratulating Akamatsu-chan! Even if her whole speech was pretty boring, she’s still moved up a level!” 

“What!?” 

Their leader only sweat dropped as Momota-san and Ouma-san bickered right in front on her, a lopsided smile on her face.

Tsumugi’s eyes wandered over to bright green hair sitting at the table alongside a certain hat. She couldn’t make out what they were saying in all this chaos, but they were both smiling as they conversed, and Hoshi-san even laughed, miracles of miracles.

The atmosphere from just a few minutes ago was completely gone, and everyone was visibly brighter. 

It made her kind of uncomfortable. Still, she took a seat at the end of the table next to Gokuhara-san and smiled.

This wouldn’t last. Something had to give sooner or later. Akamatsu-san couldn’t keep up her saccharine façade forever. 

When the first murder happened, she wondered what their precious leader would say then. Pretty words couldn’t bring back the dead.

They would all see that soon enough.

…..

There were things even she couldn’t predict, times where she couldn’t watch the cameras. As the body discovery announcement sounded and everyone went running towards the library, including her, she thought to herself that she must be the worst mastermind they’d ever had.

The first murder, and here she was, scrambling for something to hold on to just like the rest of them. 

Did they look at her and think ‘what a failure’? Or was she entertaining in her pathetic obliviousness? She already knew what she thought of herself.

As she got closer and closer to the doors of the library, a strange nervousness rose up in her. Almost as if she were afraid. But that was ridiculous. 

Why was she hesitating? Her fingers were touching cold metal, and yet the door still hadn’t opened.

Someone behind her nudged her out of the way and slammed it open instead, people streaming through the entrance like thread through a needle.

She slowly made her way towards the crowd and faintly heard someone retching somewhere. 

She couldn’t see anything for a moment but tears sliding down some of their faces. They blocked her path and in the back of her head, she thought that she should probably feel irritated by that.

But soon she didn’t have anything to hide behind, and the body was right there. Just there. It wasn’t who she expected. 

Her heart was beating fast, and yet it felt as if everything was going too slow. Wasn’t it supposed to be the other way around?

She stood looking down at the body of the Ultimate Magician, Yumeno Himiko, and she felt nothing. 

She felt nothing.

….

In a dimly lit corridor, a girl with hair so blue it shone brightly wherever she went stared down at the floor as she clenched her fists and whispered a meaningless apology.

She didn’t know who it was for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I've been gone for so long! I'd had a nasty cold for a couple of weeks and only just got over it a few days ago! The amount of fun I had was Not Very Much. 1/10 would not recommend. :P Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long!
> 
> Anyway, this chapter was a lot of fun to write. Tsumugi's perspective is really cool!! I hope you enjoyed! <3


	12. Chapter 12

They all just stared at the body for what felt like hours, a thick, heavy silence spreading throughout the room and choking them. Even the ones who wanted to scream found that they just couldn’t. It was something unbelievable, right there in front of them. 

It was Yumeno Himiko’s dead body, perfectly still and calm. As if she would wake up any minute and yawn, saying, “Mm! My MP’s at 100% now.”

“Yumeno…..Yumeno-san?” Chabashira-chan’s voice was the first to speak up, her voice trembling and wavering as she slowly walked closer. The martial artist’s eyes took in the Ultimate Magician once more, and soon she collapsed to the floor, sobbing and screaming.

That set off everyone else, and it was like a switch had been flipped or something. They all just… either started crying or yelling about wanting to go home or just kept silent. 

“This… has gotta be a lie, right?” Momota-chan clenched his fists, face pale and teeth grinding together.

Akamatsu-chan and by default, Saihara-chan, cloistered around the astronaut and looked to be trying to calm him down. They weren’t having much luck.

But that didn’t matter at all. A murder had just occurred. And obviously… friendship didn’t mean much in a killing game. Just look at how Yumeno-chan turned out. This…. was a game of suspicion. And someone in their happy little group was a killer.

Kokichi felt utterly stupid. He knew… He knew that a murder was likely going to occur sometime. That’s just what probability said. But he really, really hadn’t wanted to believe it, all the while boasting with Hoshi-chan about ending it all. And then he’d gone ahead and actually made friends. Had wanted to trust in them. He really was such an idiot.

Since he was, it explained why he got on his knees and pulled Chabashira-chan into the tightest hug he could manage. He said nothing and just held her as she cried, her hands gripping at him as if he might walk away if she didn’t. 

“Why…? Why Yumeno-san?” She asked, voice faltering. 

Kokichi pursed his lips and looked away. “I don’t know. Because someone wanted to escape? Because they were weak enough to kill someone to do that?”

He grit his teeth in frustration and glared hard down at the ground. “The person who murdered Yumeno-chan…. probably thought they could get away with it.”

“The First Blood Perk..?” Chabashira-chan’s eyes went wide and then her face was overcome with a fury unlike anything he’d ever seen her wear. She was practically shaking in anger.

“How could anyone…? How could anyone murder another person just to escape!? And do they really think I’ll be letting them get away with it? Whoever killed Yumeno-san… I’ll make sure they face justice!” 

Even with how furious she was, her voice hadn’t once gone above a whisper. And as long as everyone else was busy panicking or trying not to… He could use this. It was only a matter of whether or not Chabashira-chan would agree.

He clutched her hands in his and looked straight into her eyes, finding grief and confusion and anger and broken hopes alongside pure determination. “Chabashira-chan, listen to me. I have my suspicions on what the murderer is going to do from here, and needless to say, you’ve already figured out their end game. But if that’s the case, then I have a plan to make sure they don’t escape! Will you help me?” 

Of course, she didn’t even hesitate in saying yes. That was just the sort of person she was. Even when he said that it was going to be uncomfortable and painful, she never wavered. She merely squeezed him tightly in another sudden hug, surprising him.

“Ouma-san. Whatever you plan to do, Tenko will be right beside you. No matter what. Please do your best to count on Tenko!” 

What else could he do but exactly that? If he was going to make this right, then her help would be necessary. For Yumeno-chan too, they had to succeed. 

“Alright! From here on out, you’ll be my subordinate, Chabashira-chan! But don’t worry! An Ultimate Supreme Leader like me won’t leave the dirty work to you! Just the most important parts!”

“Isn’t that all of it!?”

He was so, so glad that she could still smile and laugh like that. And it was then that he thought to himself that she really was an amazing person, someone able to face their emotions head on and express them fully, no matter how troublesome they were. The fact she could cry and swear revenge in the same breath…

Chabashira-chan was really, really cool. 

…

“Alright! So which one of you bastards did the deed, huh? No need to be shy! The first killer gets to leave scott-free, after all!” Monokuma cackled, red eyes gleaming maliciously.

A few seconds of tense silence passed as everyone looked around at each other, wondering, “Was it you?” But no one spoke up.

The so called headmaster of the school let out an irritated sigh. “Really? None of you are going to step forward? Then how about this!?” The black and white bear unsheathed his claws and flashed them threateningly. “You guys get one more chance. Would the one who committed this crime please step forward? No class trial, no punishment, a limited time offer just for you! Otherwise, I’ll just assume you all want to go ahead with the class trial, which would be alright too, I guess!”

Someone stepped forward. 

“I killed Yumeno-san. Would it be alright for me to leave now?”

Monokuma laughed uproariously. “It was you, huh? I always figured you’d be the one to kill someone! Welp, that’s that! Time for you to get going!”

They all broke out into a panic, talking and exclaiming and yelling. None of them knew why he would killed the Ultimate Magician, neither had they really expected that the First Blood Perk would actually be true. It had sounded like a trick, like something a poker player would say to bluff their hand. But it appeared as if Monokuma was serious when it came to motives, at the least.

“Now hold on just a minute!” Momota Kaito yelled out loudly, causing everyone’s mouths to close. With all those eyes on him, he appeared to suddenly become a bit nervous, sweating and putting a hand to his head. Wincing, he continued on, with less bluster.

“There’s no way I’m letting this guy go free! Because, well… There’s a chance that he’s not the killer!” As he was met with a collective outcry of both questions and confusion, he banged his fists together with a grim look.

“Would you all be quiet for a bit!? I’m saying that I could have killed Yumeno!” Wearily, he frowned. “And if that’s true, then…”

“Momota-kun, ah, what do you mean, ‘could have killed’…?” The Ultimate Detective spoke up, voice quiet. 

The astronaut blew out a breath and looked at them all again, sadness transforming his features into something that looked out of place on him. “I could have done it, I just… don’t remember. The last thing I can recall is a bright pain hitting the back of my head, and then a scream. Plus… I woke up here, with her body right in front of me.” 

The air was awash in suspicion, mass confusion and paranoia. Who could they believe? Momota or… 

“I don’t know what the fuck’s going on, but it’s clear that Shinguuji over there did it, the creepy bastard!” Iruma tilted her head back and looked down on them with condescension. 

“Isn’t that just stereotyping?”

“I don’t even know what to think right now…”

“Everybody shut their dirty mouths!” Ouma suddenly shouted, hands on his hips as he stared at them. His command worked, if only for the fact it caught them off guard.

“Hah? Who are you telling to shut up, shota?” Iruma pointed at him rudely. “I’ll have you know-“

“Shut the fuck up before I lose any more of my brain cells listening to you speak, please.” He shot her a look of pure derision, causing her to shriek and then wrap her arms around herself, blushing head to toe.

Ouma clapped his hands together. “Anyway! It’s clear what we should do right now!” 

Harukawa sighed, looking resigned to just being there. “And what’s that?”

“I’m so glad you asked, Harukawa-chan! Well, since we have two ‘confessions’ from two ‘culprits’, why don’t we have ourselves a little mock trial, right here, right now? After all, it’ll be good practice!” He spread his arms wide with a grin.

“Let’s have Momota-chan and Shinguuji-chan argue against each other for which one of them did it! Two suspects trying to prove their own guilt! That sounds fun, right?”

“Upupupu… Well, well. This certainly does sounds entertaining! Alright, I’ll allow it! But why don’t we up the stakes? It’ll just be boring if there’s no incentive!” Monokuma laughed and laughed.

“No investigation! No clues, no mystery solving, no nothing! Just this once, let’s have ourselves a good old fashioned trial! By the way, whichever one of you suspects wins… let’s just say I have a special prize for you at the end!” 

Hoshi pulled his hat down and grimaced. “I sure hope you know what you’re doing, brat…” At his side, Amami worriedly put a hand to his cheek. 

“Is this really okay…?”

“What do you mean?” Hoshi shot him a look.

“Ah, it’s nothing… I’m just wondering if this isn’t someone’s trap we’re falling into.” And with that cryptic remark, the green haired boy refused to say anything else and instead kept his eyes trained on Momota, Shinguuji and Ouma.

“Seriously, what the fuck is going on!?” Iruma scowled and flipped off both Monokuma and Ouma. 

“Gonta would like to know, too…” The Entomologist twirled a thread of his hair around his finger, looking lost. He clearly didn’t know what to do.

Ouma Kokichi let out a laugh and spun around exactly once before stopping on his heel and cocking his head with a flare. His eyes were like flames. 

“It’s...... show time!!” 

And thus, the sixteen of them all formed a large circle, with both suspects in the center, one with not a single concern to be had, and the other looking pale and serious. Whatever answer they arrived at, it had to be the correct one. But Tenko wasn’t worried about that.

Tenko believed in Ouma-san, and she knew he would figure out Yumeno-san’s murderer. He was a very strange, very unpredictable person. An unrepentant liar and manipulative to boot.

But she was fond of him, and she felt proud to call him her friend. Her friend who was doing his very best to catch the killer. The plan he’d shared with her…

She didn’t know if it would work, and she doubted he did either, but. As long as he gave her a chance, she would take it with no hesitation. 

‘Live life facing forward.’ She’d built her life upon her master’s words, but never had she found them so hard to live up to. Not even her first year as his student could compare.

As always, she’d give it her absolute all. Her master would accept nothing less.

_‘Yumeno-san. Please watch Tenko. Please watch the Tenko who is fighting for you!’_ She had to be watching, right?

Then Tenko would go all out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It feels good to be back!! :D Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, it was a blast to write!!! Thanks for reading! <3


	13. Chapter 13

“You’re asking us to start, but… we don’t even have any evidence, do we?” Shirogane tilted her head, hand on her cheek as she sweat dropped. 

Ouma laughed. “You’re telling me you don’t have eyes? Just take a look at the crime scene! It’s right over there, after all!”

They all turned back to look over it once more, and took in the sight of the blood on both the bookshelf and the floor, the books missing from the shelf and scattered messily on the ground… the body itself, which they hadn’t even had to chance to investigate. 

“What about the scene? I don’t see any clues to lead to the culprit!” Iruma cocked her hip and scowled at the supreme leader. 

“I should’ve known someone as dumb as you wouldn’t be able to!” 

“Hey! Who are you calling dumb!? You’re talking to the gorgeous girl genius, Iruma Miu!”

Akamatsu clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention, and once she had it, she opened her mouth with a grimace.

“Would everyone settle down? Thank you. Ouma-kun makes a valid point. The crime scene has to be an important clue that will help us find the culprit! Why don’t we just think about it a little?”

Shinguuji smiled. “Kukuku… what a beautiful show of leadership, Akamatsu-san.” 

Beside him, Momota made a face and scooted a few inches further from him. “Stop being so creepy!” Then, he turned his head to their leader. “Anyways, Akamatsu! I believe in you, so do your best to catch the killer, alright?” He banged his fists together with a grin.

“Ah, even if Momota-kun is the culprit?” Saihara asked, looking unsure.

The astronaut nodded seriously. “Especially then. But Saihara!” At the sudden call out, the detective stood straight, eyes wide like a deer in the headlights.

“Um, yes, Momota-kun?”

“I believe in you too! So you better try your best, you hear me?” 

Saihara reached up to pull his hat down, hiding his eyes as he fidgeted. “But I’m not a real detective… I’m just an apprentice. I told you that, didn’t I?”

“So what? That doesn’t matter! I don’t believe in you for your talent, you know! I believe in you because I want to! So show me what Saihara Shuichi can do, huh?”

“Momota-kun….” The blue haired boy seemed taken aback. Clearly he hadn’t expected this sudden surge of faith. 

Suddenly, Yonaga began waving her hand through the air, tilting her body to each side and smiling. It certainly caught their attention.

“Um, Yonaga-san?” Gokuhara asked, tone lilting up at the end of the question. 

She clapped and laughed at her name being said. “Nyahaha! Angie just wanted to point out something she thinks is important!”

Hoshi looked at her with curious and weary eyes. “Well, get on with it. What is it?”

The artist clasped her hands together behind her and hummed. “Do you all really want to know?”

“Just fucking say it, you damn bobble head!” 

Her face suddenly darkened in an expression far more serious. It was one they had never seen her wear, and honestly a little intimidating. 

“Angie just wanted to say that she thinks the crime scene is too clean.”

Everyone stared at her.

“Hah!? What the fuck does that mean?” 

“Gonta doesn’t quite understand, either…”

“Oh! Are you talking about all the dust in here? Honestly, I’m afraid my allergies will start to act up.”

Chabashira slammed her fist into her hand with an audible smack. It rang throughout the room and caused them all to turn to her. She looked back with a furrow between her brows and a frown on her face.

“Angie-san is talking about the lack of a weapon, right?”

The other girl nodded, a smile on her face once more. “That’s right, that’s right! Angie just thought it was so weird, especially since she didn’t see any injuries on Yumeno-san, either!”

“But Angie-san is wrong. Because Tenko found blood on the back of Yumeno-san’s head… That was probably the fatal wound…” Chabashira grimaced, looking pained.

“But what did the culprit hit her with? And where did they hide it?” 

Akamatsu raised her head, her eyes shining with determination. She took a deep breath and then spoke up. “It was probably a shot put ball.”

From right next to her, Saihara’s eyes went wide and he looked at her with something verging on betrayal, his mouth opening but no sound coming out. He looked like he’d been blindsided.

“A shot put ball? From the warehouse, right? But how are you so certain that was the murder weapon?” Amami regarded her with a curious sort of a suspicion, one that almost seemed to say, ‘Prove me wrong.’ 

She clenched her fists and prepared to say it. But just as the first syllable had passed her lips-

“Akamatsu-chan was planning to murder someone.” Ouma looked at her, face an absolute blank mask she had no hopes of getting through. “Isn’t that right, _Leader_?

They all stared at her with disbelieving eyes, faces shocked and surprised. Who could have believed that someone like Akamatsu would actually commit murder? She’d been doing her best to bring them together this whole time, and now…

She wrapped an arm around herself and looked down. “Yes, you’re right. I set up a trap in the library to kill someone.” She looked up, a smile on her face but no happiness to be found.

“It was supposed to catch the mastermind, but… It looks like my plan failed. I’m so sorry, everyone.” Tears glistened in the corner of her eyes.

“Akamatsu, you…” Momota gawked. 

“So now you all know. I planned a murder even after I said that none of us were killers. And now because of me, Yumeno-san is… I’m such a hypocrite, huh?” She weakly laughed.

No one knew what to say. How do you react to something like that? Do you feel angry, or sad, or even betrayed? 

“Yep! Our precious leader just admitted it! Akamatsu-chan murdered Yumeno-chan hoping to get the mastermind! A pretty clear cut confession, right?” Ouma smiled vacantly.

“Now hold on just a minute-!” Momota protested, only to be cut off.

The Ultimate Supreme Leader hummed. “But that’s a lie.” 

“Huh!?” 

Even Akamatsu looked at him with surprise, not knowing where he was going with this.

“Momota-chan! Tell us what happened before you woke up next to Yumeno-chan! I’ll give you a kiss if you do!”

The astronaut turned red and looked ready to punch the other boy. “Like hell you will! Argh, fine, you brat! But you better not pull anything funny!”

Ouma curled a finger around a strand of his hair, affecting a bored look. “Like Momota-chan’s goatee?”

“Just shut up! My goatee is handsome!”

“I guess… if you’re into creepy facial hair…”

Before the two of them could devolve any further, Kiibo let out a sigh and looked at them in disappointment. “Oh dear. Will Momota-kun give his testimony now, please?”

“Right! So, during the time limit, that hellish music was really getting to me… I was going crazy, and then I thought I should search the library for exits!” 

“I cannot fathom the logic in your statement.” Kiibo looked to be thinking hard.

“Ah, um…” When eyes turned on him, Saihara looked away. “Is Momota-kun possibly talking about… hidden passageways? Like in a detective show…”

The astronaut grinned and flashed the other boy a thumbs up. “Haha, that’s right! Just what I’d expect from Saihara! You and I are on the same wavelength, huh?”

The detective blushed and covered his mouth with his hand, looking anywhere but at the astronaut. “Ah, um, I…. wouldn’t call it that.”

Akamatsu smiled faintly. “But it looks like Saihara-kun’s right. So, you were looking for hidden doors, Momota-kun?”

“Yeah, that’s right! Because it’s always the library, you know? So I was taking all the books out… It took a while to go through them all! Anyway, that’s when things get fuzzy in my head. Cause… I remember falling and then hitting the back of my head pretty bad. And then, next thing I know, I’m waking up to see Yumeno’s dead body. I was really panicking when I woke up, so I rushed to get someone, but by then… The body discovery announcement went off.” He ran a hand through his hair and frowned.

“Did that idiotic testimony even help at all?” Harukawa scoffed.

Hoshi shot her a disapproving look. “Course it did. We got some valuable information. With what we know… what if it went like this: Momota was looking for exits, and while he was, Yumeno’s killer sees him and knocks him out? After all, someone waking up next to a body and claiming they don’t remember anything seems suspicious… A perfect plan to frame someone in a class trial, wouldn’t you say?” Hearing his theory, everyone looks around at each other with wide eyes, as if just now coming to terms with their own paranoia.

“So the killer wanted to place suspicion on Momota-kun and frame him?” Amami hummed. “But wouldn’t Yumeno-san have to be in the library at the same time as Momota-kun? The time frame is a bit…” 

Momota furrowed his brows. “Yeah, I remember seeing Yumeno going down to the basement. We passed each other in the hallway. She went to the AV room, though.”

Akamatsu nodded. “That’s right! Saihara-kun and I both saw you and Yumeno-san go down to the basement while we were keeping watch. Along with… Shinguuji-kun and Harukawa-san.”

Saihara put a hand to his chin in contemplation. “If I remember correctly, Harukawa-san went back upstairs before the body discovery announcement. I never saw anyone else come back up.”

“So what? Fuckface over here knocked out Spacebrain and then went and killed Loli in the game room?” Iruma scoffed.

Chabashira glared. “Please refrain from referring to Yumeno-san in such a way!”

“Eek! Alright, alright, geez!”

“But that’s clearly a risky plan. What if someone happened to witness him? After all, anyone could have come down the stairs at any time.” Amami mused thoughtfully.

Ouma put a finger to his lips and smirked. “Then what if the killer isn’t the one who knocked out Momota-chan?”

Gokuhara made an inquisitive sound. “But why would Yumeno-san do that to Momota-kun?”

“I agree! You aren’t possibly saying she planned to kill him, are you!?” Kiibo gaped, taken aback.

Unexpectedly, the supreme leader shook his head. He looked at everyone with purple eyes that gleamed with purpose. 

“I’m saying that Yumeno-chan was trying to protect Momota-chan!” And with that bold proclamation, Saihara jolted and let out a soft gasp, clutching at his chest as he gazed at the other boy.

“Ah, could it be…!?”

The Ultimate Astronaut swiveled his head back and forth between them. “What, what is it, Saihara? Did you realize something?”

Saihara gripped his hat tightly, seeming almost afraid. It was odd. The detective had always seemed meek and soft spoken, but they had never seen him look so conflicted.

“Saihara-kun.” Akamatsu laid a hand on his shoulder and smiled gently as he turned to look at her. “Remember what I told you? You don’t have to be afraid anymore. See?” She raised one of her arms in a flex, winking. “I’m right here!”

Momota grinned. “Kaede’s right, Shuichi! We’ll be right beside you! So let us support you!” 

Akamatsu blinked and tilted her head. “Ah, does this mean I get to call you Kaito-kun now…?”

He laughed and gave her a thumbs up, looking delighted. “Go right ahead! We’re friends, aren’t we?”

Meanwhile, Saihara stood frozen, a bright red blush taking up the entirety of his face as he tried in vain to use both of his hands to cover it. “Ah, Momota-kun…Akamatsu-san….”

“Well, what are you waiting for, Shuichi? Let’s hear your theory!” The astronaut banged his knuckles together confidently. 

Saihara blew out a huge breath of air and suddenly looked rather resigned. Under his breath he said to himself, “Please…”

After a few seconds of trying to center himself, he looked back up, something new shining in his eyes.

“Ah, um, I’ll do my best. What Ouma-kun said… It made me realize: what if Yumeno-san realized a shot put ball was rolling down the books that Akamatsu-san set up… and what if she pushed Momota-kun away, getting hit in his place?”

Chabashira stared. “Yumeno-san… Yumeno-san wanted to protect Momota-san?”

“Yes. At least, it’s a likely possibility. If she had, it would perfectly account for both how Momota-kun injured his head, the blood on the books, and why some of them were scattered by the body. Ah, and I don’t think the culprit planned this in advance. It all just feels so… rushed. Like the culprit themselves didn’t plan to murder…”

“Isn’t that right, Shinguuji Korekiyo, Ultimate Anthropologist?” The detective stared down the suspect with a challenging look. 

Shinguuji stared back, eyes wide, caught off guard. Then, he began chuckling softly. “My, my, Saihara-kun. This is certainly a fascinating new side I’m starting to see… And just why are you accusing me?”

The blue haired boy stared back evenly, for once not looking away. Instead, it seemed as if he’d found what he’d been searching for, as bright yellow eyes flashed.

“You’re the only one who could have done it. You had the motive, the opportunity, the time window… That scratch on your cheek proves it.” 

Clapping filled the room as the anthropologist closed his eyes before slowly opening them again. “Marvelous, Saihara-kun. For you to even notice that… No, perhaps I should have expected it. A cornered mouse can bite back, indeed.”

“Very well, I’ll admit it. I killed Yumeno Himiko. While I was heading towards the stairs, I happened to hear a scream… and so I looked into the library. Imagine my surprise when I saw Momota-kun unconscious, Yumeno-san clutching her shoulder, and a shot put ball lying next to her. I thought that an opportunity like this wouldn’t come again, and so I took it.” 

Shinguuji smiled pleasantly. “But she did surprise me… When I grabbed the shot put ball and made to kill her, she fought back. It was rather unexpected, especially coming from her. She left me these scratches as a memento, and if I hadn’t killed her as quickly, I wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d taken out an eye.” He delicately ran a finger over his cheek, expression almost fond. 

“For all her laziness, she was surprisingly lively in death.”

Everyone looked at him in disgust and abhorrence, but it was Chabashira who marched up to him and punched him. He went down like a sack of bricks and hit the floor hard.

As she glared down at him, she was shaking in anger and grief. “You’re… You’re the most horrible person Tenko has ever met! Just to escape, you would..! Yumeno-san died for that!” At a loss for words, the martial artist wiped an arm across her eyes.

“Tenko thought everything would be fixed when she found Yumeno-san’s killer. But it’s not… Yumeno-san is still…” She flinched as a hand gently slipped into hers. Glancing to her side, she found Yonaga, who had a soft smile.

“Isn’t Yumeno-san still with you, though? Aren’t you thinking of her?” As Chabashira tearfully nodded, the other girl pulled her into a hug.

“Then she can surely hear you. And… Angie is sure she doesn’t blame you.” At that, Chabashira just broke down, sobbing and clinging tight to the person holding her. 

Everyone averted their eyes out of respect, and Amami walked over to the killer. With a sigh, he looked down at him, and slowly, Shinguuji tilted his head and looked back, face ugly from what would no doubt be a giant bruise.

“Amami-kun. What could you possibly want with me?”

The green haired boy frowned. “Shinguuji. Did you really kill someone… just to escape?” 

The anthropologist chuckled and sat up. “Yes. I wanted to escape no matter what… So that I could reunite with my sister. That’s all.”

Sharp eyes observed him. “Is that the answer you were looking for?”

Amami was silent for a few beats. Then… 

“Yeah. Goodbye.” But before he could walk away, he heard Shinguuji’s voice drift over from behind him. Even if he didn’t want to, he heard the other boy’s words.

“Our time talking together… I enjoyed it. You are a very interesting person, Amami-kun. The only regret I have is not being able to observe you further.”

Before he could say anything he’d regret, Amami started walking again without a word, until he could no longer feel the uncomfortable sensation of eyes roving across his back.

…

“Alright! You guys really did it! That’s right, our one and only blackened, the one who killed Yumeno Himiko… is none other than Shinguuji Korekiyo! Kyahaha, not like that’s a surprise! So, I’ve got a very special punishment prepared for the Ultimate Anthropologist!”

As the sixteen of them stood there in both fear and anticipation, Monokuma bared his teeth and cackled.

“You get to stay here in this school with the rest of these bastards!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this is lackluster! I'm not the best at writing stuff like this, haha. :') Hope you enjoyed anyways!


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